Lavandula heterophylla is a small to medium sized shrub, growing to about 2 feet
tall and a bit wider. The flower stalks grow about a foot beyond. Sweet Lavender, like many of the
lavenders is a short lived woody shrub. I expect 3 or 4 years out of
Lavandula heterophylla before the middle of the shrub starts to die back. In the
meantime they are a wonderfully fragrant component of the herb or Mediterranean
garden. Lavandula heterophylla is Winter hardy into the high teens. Lavandula
Grosso and Provence are hardier as well as the English lavenders, Hidcote and Munstead.
Lavandula heterophylla requires reasonable drainage but is more tolerant of soil conditions
than many of the other lavenders. Lavandula heterophylla attracts a variety of butterflies
to the garden including the Hairstreaks,
Fiery Skipper, Mournful Duskywing,
Sara Orangetip, and the
California Dogface Butterfly.
I find that Lavandula heterophylla looks pretty scrappy
unless the flower stalks are periodically removed. This is not as
bad a chore as it might seem though if you plant a lot of them it can take a bit of time. The flowers dry nicely, and I often
use them in dried arrangements. Sweet Lavender is not one of the culinary varieties.
High resolution photos of Lavandula heterophylla are part of our garden image collection.
