If you’re planning your garden, you might be wondering, does lavender bloom all summer? The simple answer is that many popular varieties are known for their long flowering period, offering blooms throughout the season with the right care. This makes lavender a fantastic choice for continuous color and fragrance in your beds and borders.
Let’s look at how you can enjoy these beautiful purple flowers for as long as possible.
Does Lavender Bloom All Summer
Whether your lavender blooms non-stop from spring to fall depends on two main things: the specific type you plant and how you look after it. Some lavenders are bred for a single, massive flush of flowers, while others are repeat bloomers.
With proper pruning and ideal conditions, you can extend the show significantly, often getting multiple waves of those iconic blooms.
Lavender Types and Their Bloom Times
Not all lavenders are created equal when it comes to their flowering habits. Knowing the difference helps you set realistic expectations and choose the best plant for your goal of season-long color.
- English Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia): This is the classic, cold-hardy lavender. It typically has one major bloom in late spring to early summer, lasting about 3-4 weeks. However, if you deadhead it promptly and correctly, you can often encourage a smaller second bloom in late summer.
- Lavandin Hybrids (Lavandula x intermedia): These are crosses between English and Portuguese lavender. Varieties like ‘Grosso’ and ‘Provence’ bloom a bit later, starting in mid-summer and often continuing for several weeks into late summer. They have a longer initial bloom period than English types.
- French & Spanish Lavender (Lavandula stoechas): These are the champions for long bloom time in warmer climates. They start flowering in spring and, with consistent deadheading, can produce flowers straight through to fall. They are less cold-tolerant but excel at providing blooms throughout the season.
How to Encourage Maximum Blooming
Your gardening practices have a huge impact on flower production. Follow these steps to get the most from your plants.
1. Plant in Full Sun and Well-Drained Soil
Lavender is a sun worshipper. It needs at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily to bloom its best. More sun equals more flowers. The soil must be very well-drained. Lavender hates wet feet. If you have heavy clay soil, plant in a raised bed or container.
2. Prune Properly and Regularly
This is the single most important task for promoting blooms and keeping plants healthy. There are two key pruning times:
- Annual Pruning (Early Spring): As new growth appears, prune back the plant by about one-third. Never cut into the old, woody stems that have no leaves, as they may not regrow. This encourages bushy new growth that will produce flowers.
- Deadheading (After Flowering): As soon as the first flower spikes start to fade, snip them off. Cut back the flower stalk to just above the first set of leaves on the stem. This prevents the plant from putting energy into making seeds and tells it to produce more flowers instead.
3. Water and Feed Wisely
Overwatering and over-fertilizing are common mistakes. Lavender is drought-tolerant once established. Water deeply but infrequently, letting the soil dry out between waterings. Too much nitrogen from fertilizer will give you lots of green leaves but few flowers. If needed, use a light, balanced fertilizer in early spring only.
4. Choose the Right Variety
For the closest thing to blooms all summer, select known repeat-blooming varieties. Some excellent choices include:
- ‘Phenomenal’: A very tough lavandin with a long bloom period.
- ‘SuperBlue’: An English type known for its reliable rebloom.
- Any Lavandula stoechas variety like ‘Bandera Purple’ for warm climates.
What to Do When Blooming Slows
Even the best-tended lavender might have a lull in peak summer heat. This is normal. The plant is conserving energy. Keep up with light deadheading of any spent blooms and ensure it gets enough water during extreme drought. As temperatures cool slightly in late summer, you should see a resurgence in flowering for many types.
If your plant stops blooming altogether, check its basic needs. Is it getting enough sun? Has it become too woody and overgrown? Sometimes an older, woody plant produces less flowers and may need to be replaced.
Common Problems That Prevent Blooming
If your lavender isn’t flowering well, one of these issues is likely the culprit:
- Not Enough Sun: This is the number one reason. Lavender in shade or partial shade will become leggy and produce few to no flowers.
- Improper Pruning: Failure to prune in spring results in a sprawling, woody plant. Not deadheading tells the plant the season is over.
- Too Much Fertilizer: High-nitrogen plant food promotes leaf growth at the expense of buds.
- Winter Damage: For cold-climate types, a harsh winter can damage flower buds formed the previous fall.
- Old Age: Lavender plants are most productive for about 3-5 years. After that, they can become too woody and might need replacing.
Harvesting and Enjoying Your Blooms
To enjoy lavender indoors and encourage more blooms, harvest flowers just as the buds begin to open. This is when their fragrance is strongest. Cut stems in the morning after the dew has dried. You can bunche them and hang them upside down in a dark, dry place to dry.
Use your harvested lavender in sachets, culinary recipes, or simply as fresh-cut flowers. Regular harvesting acts as a form of deadheading, which helps the plant’s overall heath.
FAQ: Lavender Blooming Season
Which lavender blooms the longest?
French and Spanish lavenders (Lavandula stoechas) generally have the longest natural bloom period, often from spring to fall in warm climates.
How many times does lavender bloom in a season?
It varies. English lavender may bloom once, possibly twice with deadheading. Many hybrids and French types can bloom repeatedly, offering waves of flowers for months.
Can you get lavender to bloom all year?
No, lavender needs a dormant period. Even in mild climates, it’s growth and flowering will slow in the winter months. The goal is to maximize its performance during its natural growing season.
Why did my lavender stop blooming in July?
Summer heat can cause a natural pause. Ensure the plant isn’t stressed by drought. Also, if you haven’t deadheaded the first flush of flowers, it may think it’s done for the year.
Does cutting lavender encourage more flowers?
Yes! Deadheading spent flower spikes is the best way to signal the plant to produce more blooms. It redirects energy from seed production back into creating new flowers.
In the end, while not every lavender will bloom without interruption from June to September, choosing the right type and providing excellent care will give you a magnificent display that lasts for many weeks. The key is to manage expectations and understand that with strategic pruning and optimal placement, you can enjoy the sight and scent of lavender for the bulk of the gardening season. Remember, a little neglect in the watering and feeding department is actually a good thing for this resilient mediterranean herb.