Lavandula stoechasSpanish Lavender

The Lavandula stoechas, commonly known as the Spanish Lavender or Topped Lavender, is a compact aromatic evergreen shrub of the western Mediterranean. Narrow grey-green leaves carry short dense flower heads of deep purple, each topped with a tuft of upright petal-like bracts that gives the species its distinctive rabbit-ear outline.

It flowers earlier and for longer than English lavender and copes better with heat and humidity, which makes it the more reliable lavender for warm climates. It is used in low hedging, sensory and herb gardens, median beds and Mediterranean-character schemes.

Specifications

• Height0.4 to 0.8 metres
• Width0.5 to 0.8 metres
• Native toThe western Mediterranean, from Spain and Portugal across to north Africa
• FoliageNarrow, aromatic, grey-green leaves held densely on a compact woody frame; evergreen
• Growth rateModerate

Conditions

• SoilRequires sharply drained sandy, gravelly or stony soils; short-lived in heavy or wet ground
• LightFull sun
• WaterLow; drought-tolerant once established and intolerant of persistent moisture at the crown
• ClimateThrives in Mediterranean, arid and semi-arid regions with hot dry summers; tolerates frost

Additional Features

• FlowersShort dense purple flower heads topped with upright petal-like bracts, carried from early spring over a long season
• UsesLow informal hedging, sensory and herb gardens, median and roundabout beds, Mediterranean-character shrub layer
• SpacingPlant 0.4 to 0.6 metres apart for a continuous low mass
• Low MaintenanceTrim lightly after each flush; never cut back into old bare wood, which will not reshoot
• Pest ResistanceFree of significant pest and disease problems where drainage is sharp
• Drought ToleranceGood once established, though the crown must stay dry
• FragranceFoliage and flowers are strongly aromatic, which makes the species valuable beside paths and seating
• Wildlife AttractionFlowers are worked heavily by bees and butterflies across a long season

The Spanish Lavender is the lavender that actually holds up in a hot climate, and it flowers for far longer than its English cousin.