How To Grow Spanish Lavender

If you’re looking for a beautiful, fragrant, and resilient plant for your garden, learning how to grow Spanish lavender is a fantastic choice. This guide will walk you through every step, making the process simple even for beginners.

Spanish lavender (Lavandula stoechas) is known for its distinctive pineapple-shaped flower heads topped with showy bracts, often called “rabbit ears.” It’s a tough, drought-tolerant plant that brings structure, color, and a wonderful scent to sunny spots. With the right start and a little care, you’ll have a thriving plant that attracts pollinators and looks stunning.

Success with Spanish lavender comes down to a few key principles: lots of sun, excellent drainage, and not too much fussing. It thrives on a bit of neglect once established. Let’s break down what you need to do.

Choosing the Right Plant and Location

Start with a healthy plant from a reputable nursery. Look for vibrant green or silvery foliage without any signs of wilting or yellowing. Check that it’s not root-bound in its pot.

The single most important factor is sunlight. Your Spanish lavender needs a full sun location.

It requires at least 6 to 8 hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight per day.
More sun means stronger stems, more flowers, and a richer fragrance.
Insufficient sun leads to leggy growth, fewer blooms, and potential disease.

Also consider air circulation. Plant it in an open area where air can move freely around the foliage. This helps prevent fungal issues, especially in humid climates.

Soil Preparation is Everything

Spanish lavender is native to the rocky, dry hills of the Mediterranean. It absolutely despises wet, soggy roots. Perfect drainage is non-negotiable.

Ideal Soil Type: Sandy, gravelly, or rocky soil that drains very quickly.
Problem Soil: Heavy clay or compacted soil that holds water.
The Fix: If you have poor-draining soil, you must amend it. Create a raised mound or plant in a raised bed. Mix a generous amount of coarse sand, small gravel, or crushed rock into your native soil. Adding some compost is good, but avoid moisture-retentive materials like peat moss.

Aim for a slightly alkaline to neutral soil pH. If your soil is very acidic, you can add a little garden lime at planting time.

Planting Your Lavender

The best times to plant are in the spring after the last frost or in early fall. This gives the roots time to establish without the stress of extreme heat or cold.

Dig a hole that is twice as wide as the plant’s root ball, but only just as deep. The goal is to keep the crown (where the stem meets the roots) at or slightly above the soil level to prevent rot.
Gently remove the plant from its container and loosen the roots if they are tightly wound.
Place the plant in the hole, backfill with your prepared soil mix, and firm it gently.
Water thoroughly to settle the soil. After this initial watering, you can ease off.

Space plants about 18 to 24 inches apart. This gives them room to grow into their natural mound shape and ensures good air flow between them.

Watering and Feeding Schedule

Overwatering is the fastest way to kill Spanish lavender. It is incredibly drought-tolerant once established.

First Season: Water regularly to help the roots establish. Let the soil dry out completely between waterings. Don’t keep it constantly damp.
Established Plants: Rely almost entirely on rainfall. Only water during extended periods of severe drought. The leaves may wilt slightly in the hottest part of the day—this is normal. If they are still wilted in the morning, then it’s time to water deeply.

Fertilizer is rarely needed and can often do more harm than good, encouraging soft, weak growth. A light application of a balanced, slow-release fertilizer in early spring is plenty. Or, simply top-dress with a thin layer of compost each year.

Pruning for Health and Beauty

Pruning is essential to keep your Spanish lavender from becoming woody, leggy, and sparse in the center. The key is to prune right after the first major flush of flowers fades, usually in mid-summer.

Never cut back into the old, bare wood where there are no leaves, as it may not regrow.
Using clean, sharp shears, trim off the spent flower stalks along with about one-third of the current year’s green growth.
Shape the plant into a neat, rounded mound. This encourages bushy new growth and often prompts a second, smaller bloom in late summer or fall.

In early spring, you can also do a light tidy-up, removing any winter-damaged stems. A light prune after that second fall bloom can help too, but avoid heavy pruning in autumn.

Overwintering and Cold Protection

Spanish lavender is hardy in USDA zones 7-9. It is less cold-tolerant than English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia).

In zones 7-8, a layer of mulch (like gravel or pine straw) around the base can help protect the roots. Avoid piling mulch against the crown.
In colder zones, it’s best grown in a container that can be moved to a sheltered, cool but bright spot for the winter, like a garage or porch.
Pot-grown plants are always more vulnerable to cold. Provide extra protection or bring them indoors if a hard freeze is expected.

Growing in Containers

Spanish lavender excels in containers, which solves drainage problems instantly.

Choose a pot with excellent drainage holes that is only 1-2 inches larger in diameter than the root ball. Terracotta is ideal because it breathes.
Use a very well-draining potting mix. A cactus/succulent blend is perfect, or make your own with regular potting soil mixed 50/50 with perlite or coarse sand.
Water only when the soil is completely dry. Container plants will need water more frequently than in-ground ones, especially in summer, but still be cautious.
Repot every 2-3 years in early spring to refresh the soil and provide a slightly larger pot if needed.

Troubleshooting Common Problems

Most problems stem from too much moisture or not enough sun.

Yellowing Leaves: Often a sign of overwatering. Let the soil dry out completely.
Leggy, Floppy Growth: Not enough sun. Move the plant to a sunnier location if possible.
Root Rot: Caused by soggy soil. The plant will wilt, turn brown, and die back. Prevention through good drainage is the only cure.
Few or No Flowers: Usually due to insufficient sunlight, over-fertilizing, or a lack of pruning. Ensure it gets full sun and prune annually.

Pests are rare, but keep an eye out for spittlebugs in the spring. You can simply spray them off with a strong jet of water.

Harvesting and Using Your Lavender

Harvest flowers just as they begin to open for the strongest fragrance and color.

Cut stems in the morning after the dew has dried but before the heat of the day.
Bundle a few stems together with a rubber band and hang them upside down in a cool, dark, well-ventilated place to dry.
Once dry, you can strip the flowers from the stems for sachets, potpourri, or culinary use (ensure it’s a culinary-safe variety and grown without chemicals).
The dried flower heads also make beautiful, long-lasting decorations on there own.

FAQ

What is the difference between Spanish and English lavender?

Spanish lavender (Lavandula stoechas) has showy, tufted bracts on top of the flower head (the “rabbit ears”) and prefers warmer, drier climates. English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) has more traditional, slender flower spikes, a sweeter fragrance, and is more cold-hardy.

How often should you water Spanish lavender?

Water deeply but infrequently, only when the soil is completely dry. Established plants in the ground may only need water during long droughts. Potted plants need checking weekly in hot weather.

Can Spanish lavender survive winter?

It can survive winters in zones 7-9. In zone 7, some protection with mulch is wise. In colder zones, it’s best treated as an annual or grown in a pot to bring indoors.

Why is my lavender plant turning woody?

It’s a natural part of aging, but annual pruning right after flowering significantly slows this process. Pruning encourages new, soft growth from the base and maintains a fuller shape.

Does Spanish lavender come back every year?

In its suitable hardiness zones (7-9), it is a perennial and will return each spring. In colder zones, it acts as an annual unless protected.

With these straightforward steps, you can enjoy the unique beauty and aroma of Spanish lavender in your own garden. Remember, its thrives with plenty of sun, sharp drainage, and a light touch with the watering can. Give it those conditions, and it will reward you with years of low-maintenance beauty.