Lavandula x intermedia 'Gros Bleu'
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HEDGE LAVENDER, LAVENDIN
Family: Lamiaceae
Pronounced: lah-VAN-dew-lah in-ter-MED-ee-ah
GROWING GUIDE
Geographic Origin:
Garden.
Plant Group:
Herbs.
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Mature size: Height: 30 inches (75 cm). Width: 3 feet (90 cm).
Flowering period: Summer.
Flowering attributes: Purple flowers on long stems.
Leaf attributes: Lance to spoon-shaped, aromatic, evergreen, gray-green leaves.
Light: Full sun.
Soil: Well-drained, loose soil.
Feeding: None to very light feeding.
Propagation Methods: Softwood cuttings in summer.
Pruning Methods: Prune in early spring to keep plants from getting leggy and later perform a light trimming after flowers fade, taking off the flower stem, to extend the blooming season. In spite of a lot of advice never to hard prune lavender, you can hard prune young plants; however, old, woody plants will not take well to radical pruning.
Rainy Side Notes
Lavendula x intermedia 'Gros Bleu' , an introduction from France, is fast becoming popular in the Pacific Northwest. The long spikes of flowers are an outstanding shade of purple, one of the darkest of the lavandin flowers, borne on exceptionally long stems. First choice for fresh or dried flowers, L. 'Gros Bleu' is a handsome shrub in the landscape and is adapted to our Mediterranean climate.
Debra Teachout-Teashon
Photographed at Cedarbrook Farm in Sequim, Washington.
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