Which Lavender Variety Is Best for My Garden?

The lavender family encompasses a wide range of species and hundreds of named varieties, and while they all share the iconic fragrance and purple flower, they differ significantly in hardiness, flowering season, size, fragrance intensity and suitability for different uses. Choosing the right type for your garden, climate and purpose is the most important decision you can make before buying, and it is one that most gardeners make without adequate information — leading to disappointment when a beautiful but tender French lavender dies in its first winter.

English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)

The classic lavender and the most widely grown in the UK. Hardy to around -15°C in well-drained soil, it flowers in June and July with long, elegant spikes of intense fragrance. Key named varieties include Hidcote (compact, deep purple, highly rated for fragrance), Munstead (pale lavender-blue, slightly larger, excellent for hedging), Vera (the traditional oil-producing variety, more open habit), and Imperial Gem (rich purple, very free-flowering, one of the best for bees). This is the group to choose for most UK gardens, dried flower production, and culinary use.

Lavandula x intermedia (Lavandin)

A hybrid between L. angustifolia and L. latifolia. Lavandin produces larger, longer flower spikes than angustifolia, flowers slightly later (July to August), and is more vigorous, often reaching 60 to 90 cm. The fragrance is slightly sharper and more camphor-rich than angustifolia. Widely grown commercially for essential oil production in Provence. Garden-worthy varieties include Grosso (massive spikes, commonly seen in lavender fields) and Edelweiss (white-flowered, striking). Hardy, but fragrance is not quite as sweet as true angustifolia.

French lavender (Lavandula stoechas)

Immediately recognisable by its distinctive pineapple-shaped flower heads topped with showy "rabbit ears" of purple bracts. Flowers from late spring (April to June) and often repeatedly through the season. Far less cold-hardy than angustifolia — survives mild winters (above -5°C) but dies in colder zones without protection. Best treated as a container plant in cold climates, brought under glass for winter. Beautiful and unusual but not a substitute for hardy English lavender in northern gardens.

Spanish lavender (Lavandula dentata)

Characterised by grey-green, toothed leaves with a distinctive resinous scent. Even less frost-hardy than French lavender and essentially a tender perennial in the UK, needing greenhouse overwintering. Grown as an annual or a summer container plant in cold climates. More interesting for its foliage texture and unusual form than for its relatively modest fragrance.

Choosing for specific purposes

For fragrance and drying, choose L. angustifolia Hidcote or Vera. For hedging, Munstead is reliable and compact. For the longest flowering season and visual drama, L. stoechas in a sheltered spot or container. For the largest flower spikes, Lavandin Grosso. For general purpose hardiness across most UK conditions, any angustifolia named variety is the safest choice.