How to Prune Lavender: Keep Your Garden Fragrant and Blooming

How to Prune Lavender: A Comprehensive Guide

Lavender (Lavandula) is a stunning, fragrant plant that thrives in sunny, well-drained conditions. Proper pruning is essential to maintaining its health, vigor, and longevity. Pruning lavender encourages dense growth, prolongs its life, prevents legginess, and ensures an abundant display of flowers year after year.

Whether you grow English Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), French Lavender (Lavandula dentata), Spanish Lavender (Lavandula stoechas), or any other variety, pruning is crucial to the plant’s overall performance.

Why Pruning Lavender Is Important

Pruning lavender is important for several reasons:

Preventing Woody Growth: Lavender can become woody at the base as it ages. Woody stems are less productive, meaning they produce fewer flowers and may split or crack under the weight of the plant. Regular pruning keeps the plant bushy and productive, reducing the amount of woody growth.

Encouraging Dense Growth: Pruning promotes dense, compact growth by encouraging the plant to branch out. This leads to a fuller appearance and a more bountiful display of flowers.

Prolonging Life: Proper pruning can extend the lifespan of lavender. Unpruned lavender can become overly woody and may die prematurely, while regular pruning revitalizes the plant.

Increasing Flower Production: Pruning lavender encourages the plant to produce more flowers, providing you with a larger harvest of fragrant blooms.

Maintaining Shape: Pruning helps maintain the desired shape and size of your lavender plant, preventing it from becoming unruly or leggy.

English Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)

When to Prune Lavender

The timing of lavender pruning depends on your region and climate, as well as the type of lavender you grow. Generally, you will need to prune lavender twice a year—once in the spring and once after flowering.

Spring Pruning: In early spring, once the threat of frost has passed, prune lavender to remove any winter damage, dead stems, or weak growth. This is also the time to shape the plant before new growth begins.

Summer or Post-Flowering Pruning: After the lavender has finished flowering in mid-to-late summer, give it a second, more substantial pruning. This helps rejuvenate the plant and encourages new growth for the following season.

Avoid pruning lavender too late in the season, particularly in cooler climates, as this can result in tender new growth that is vulnerable to winter damage.

Spanish Lavender (Lavandula stoechas)

How to Prune Lavender: Step-by-Step Guide

Tools You’ll Need

• Sharp Pruners or Shears: Always use sharp, clean pruning tools to prevent damage to the plant and reduce the risk of disease.
• Gloves: Lavender can be slightly abrasive, so wearing gloves will protect your hands.

Step 1: Pruning Lavender in Early Spring

Early spring pruning helps to remove winter damage and encourage healthy new growth.

• Inspect the Plant: First, inspect the lavender plant for any dead, damaged, or diseased stems. These may have been damaged by frost or winter weather.
• Remove Dead Wood: Use your pruners to remove any dead, brown, or woody stems. Cut back to green, healthy growth. Dead or woody growth does not produce flowers and can detract from the plant’s appearance.
• Shape the Plant: At this stage, you can lightly shape the lavender, cutting back some of the outer growth to create a more rounded, compact appearance. Be careful not to cut into the woody base of the plant, as lavender does not regenerate well from old wood. Only trim back into the green, leafy part of the plant.

Step 2: Pruning Lavender After Flowering

Once lavender has finished flowering, it’s time for a more significant prune. This post-flowering prune encourages the plant to grow bushier and prepares it for winter.

• Cut Back Flower Stems: Start by removing the spent flower spikes. You can cut these down to where the foliage begins or just above a leaf node. This helps tidy the plant and encourages more blooms in the future.
• Trim the Plant by One-Third: After removing the flower spikes, cut back about one-third of the plant’s overall height. This prevents the lavender from becoming too leggy or woody and encourages the plant to produce fresh new growth. Again, avoid cutting into old, woody stems. Only prune the soft, green part of the plant.
• Maintain a Rounded Shape: Aim to keep the lavender plant in a neat, rounded mound. Lavender grows naturally into a domed shape, and pruning helps maintain this form. A rounded shape also helps protect the plant from winter weather, as snow or rain will slide off more easily.

Step 3: Additional Pruning Considerations by Lavender Type

Different lavender species may require slightly different approaches to pruning.

• English Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia): English lavender is hardy and should be pruned twice yearly—in early spring and after flowering. Prune heavily after flowering to maintain shape and vigor.
• French Lavender (Lavandula dentata): French lavender has a longer bloom period, often flowering throughout the summer and into fall. You can prune it lightly throughout the growing season to remove spent flowers and keep it tidy. Give it a more significant prune after its main flowering period in late summer.
• Spanish Lavender (Lavandula stoechas): Spanish lavender blooms in spring and may continue flowering intermittently throughout the summer. Prune lightly after each flush of blooms to encourage more flowers and to keep the plant compact.
• Lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia): Lavandin is a hybrid known for its vigorous growth and larger size. Prune it similarly to English lavender—twice yearly, with a heavy prune after flowering to maintain its shape and prevent it from becoming too woody.

Lavandula dentata (French Lavender)

Lavender Pruning and Climate

Your local climate plays a crucial role in determining how and when to prune lavender. Lavender is native to the Mediterranean, where it thrives in warm, dry conditions. In colder climates, lavender needs protection from harsh winters, and pruning may need to be adjusted to avoid winter damage.

Cold Climates: In colder regions (USDA zones 4-6), prune lavender in early spring after the last frost and again in late summer after flowering. Avoid pruning too late in the season to protect the plant from frost damage. Mulching around the base of the plant can help insulate the roots during winter.

Warm Climates: In warmer climates (USDA zones 7-11), lavender benefits from regular pruning throughout the growing season. French lavender, in particular, may flower year-round in warm climates, allowing for multiple light prunings each year.

Lavender and Santolina – The Perfect Xeriscape Duo

Avoiding Common Pruning Mistakes

When pruning lavender, it’s essential to avoid a few common mistakes that can damage the plant or hinder its growth:

Pruning into Woody Stems: Avoid cutting into the old, woody parts of the lavender plant. Lavender does not regenerate well from old wood, so cutting too far back can prevent new growth and reduce flowering. Always prune above the woody base, in the green, leafy part of the plant.

Pruning Too Late: Pruning too late in the season, especially in cooler climates, can stimulate tender new growth that may be damaged by frost. Always aim to finish pruning by early fall to give the plant time to harden off before winter.

Over-Pruning: While lavender benefits from regular pruning, avoid cutting back too much at once. Removing more than one-third of the plant at a time can stress the lavender, reducing its ability to produce new growth and flowers.

Neglecting to Prune: On the other hand, neglecting to prune lavender can result in leggy, woody growth. This reduces the plant’s ability to produce flowers and can shorten its lifespan. Regular pruning keeps lavender compact, bushy, and full of blooms.

What to Do with Pruned Lavender

After pruning, you can use the trimmed lavender stems in several ways:

• Dried Flowers: Lavender flowers can be dried and used in sachets, potpourri, and crafts. Hang the cut flower stems upside down in a cool, dark place to dry them.
• Lavender Oil: You can use the pruned lavender stems to make lavender-infused oil. Place fresh or dried lavender stems in a jar, cover with a carrier oil, and let it infuse for a few weeks.
• Compost: Lavender clippings make excellent compost material. They are rich in nutrients and add valuable organic matter to the compost pile.

Long-Term Care for Lavender

With proper pruning and care, lavender plants can thrive for 10-15 years or more. Regularly prune your lavender to maintain its shape, remove dead wood, and encourage new growth. Each year, be sure to give it a significant prune after flowering to ensure healthy blooms for the following season.

As lavender ages, it may become more woody at the base. If the plant becomes overly woody and produces fewer flowers, consider replacing it with a new lavender plant propagated from cuttings.

Lavender and Cosmos

Frequently Asked Questions

When Should Lavender Be Cut Back?

Lavender should be cut back twice a year: once in early spring to remove winter damage and promote healthy growth, and again after flowering in late summer or early fall. This second pruning helps prepare the plant for the next season and keeps it from becoming leggy and woody.

Where Do You Cut Lavender for Pruning?

For pruning, cut lavender just above the green, leafy growth, avoiding the woody base of the plant. When pruning after flowering, trim about one-third of the plant’s height, cutting just above a pair of leaves. In early spring, remove any dead or damaged stems, cutting back to healthy green growth.

What Happens if You Don’t Prune Lavender?

If you don’t prune lavender, the plant may become leggy, with long, woody stems and sparse growth. Over time, the plant will produce fewer flowers, and the woody base may split, reducing its overall lifespan and making it more prone to damage from wind or heavy rain.

Should I Cut Off Dead Lavender Flowers?

Yes, cutting off dead lavender flowers, a process known as deadheading, helps encourage the plant to produce new blooms. It also tidies up the plant and prevents it from putting energy into seed production, instead focusing on new growth and flowering.

Does Lavender Rebloom After Cutting?

Yes, lavender can rebloom after cutting, especially if deadheaded and pruned correctly. English lavender and some varieties of French lavender are more likely to produce a second flush of blooms if pruned after their first flowering. However, the rebloom may be smaller than the initial flush.