Mid to Late Summer Blooming Lavenders

There are 3 main types of Lavenders with different blooming seasons: Lavandula stoechas (Spanish Lavender), Lavandula angustifolia (English Lavender), and Lavandula x intermedia (Lavandin). Some are early bloomers, with their magnificent blooms appearing in early spring. Others are late bloomers with blooms opening up in midsummer. Planting one of each in your garden will reward you with heavenly fragrance and attractive flower spikes from spring until late summer!

Most late-season Lavenders belong to the Lavandula x intermedia (Lavandin) group, but some cultivars of Lavandula angustifolia (English Lavender) are also prized for their midsummer blooms.

• Lavandula x intermedia, also called Lavandin, is a hybrid cross between Lavandula angustifolia and Lavandula latifolia. Cultivars are slightly less hardy than L. angustifolia, and are taller with mounds of gray foliage and long loose spikes. They tolerate hot (dry) weather better than English Lavenders. Cultivars are commercially grown for their high yield of oil which, however, is inferior in quality to L. angustifolia’s oil. This Lavender type is great for hedges, and rock gardens, as an accent plant, and is also popular in potpourris or as a culinary herb.
  Flowering typically occurs in July or August and tends to last until late summer.
• Lavandula angustifolia, also called True Lavender or Common Lavender has long been cultivated for its high-quality lavender oil. Cultivars of this species tend to be compact in habit and have grayish-green narrow leaves and relatively short compact flower spikes. This Lavender type is great for formal or informal edging along walkways, raised wall beds, rock gardens, herb gardens, and in mass plantings.
  Flowering typically occurs in June or July and tends to last 3-4 weeks. Cooler summer climates may have extended bloom periods, but where summers are hot, these Lavenders will stop blooming as the heat increases.
  English Lavender needs to be grown in areas where it can go dormant during the winter. Hardy to zone 5, these Lavenders are the most cold-hardy species of Lavender and they do not tolerate poor drainage or high humidity.
• Note: Bloom times highly depend on weather conditions. Spring may arrive sooner or later in your area than in California or New England. But the bloom sequence of Lavenders remains unchanged. Early blooming Lavenders will always be the first ones to show off in the garden, whether this is in May or June in your area.