How to plant and grow a lavender hedge

Which lavender makes the best low hedge

A lavender hedge is a classic way to line a path or front a border with grey-green foliage and scented purple flowers through summer. French lavender (Lavandula stoechas) makes an attractive low hedge in mild, sheltered UK gardens, with compact growth and distinctive purple flower heads topped by upright bracts. English lavender is generally the hardier choice for colder or more exposed sites. Our hedging lavender is the French lavender Bandera Purple, a compact variety that reaches about 40 to 50cm tall and wide, making it ideal for a low, informal hedge. English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is often recommended for hedging in colder gardens because it is hardier, but we sell French lavender only. If your garden is very exposed or you garden on heavy clay in a cold region, English lavender would be the safer choice for a permanent hedge. In a sunny, sheltered garden with free-draining soil, Bandera Purple can make a fragrant, low-growing edge, flowering from late spring through summer. Its tolerance of winter cold and wet is more limited than that of English lavender.

• French lavender (Lavandula stoechas): compact, bushy growth and tufted purple flowers from late spring into summer; best in sheltered, well-drained gardens
• English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia): hardier, better for cold, exposed sites and heavy clay soils
• Bandera Purple: a dwarf French lavender, 40 to 50cm tall and wide, ideal for low hedging

French vs English lavender for hedging

French lavender and English lavender look and behave differently in a hedge line. French lavender has distinctive tufted flower heads topped with petal-like bracts, grey-green aromatic leaves and a looser, slightly more open habit. It flowers from late spring through summer, often with a second flush in early autumn if deadheaded. English lavender has slimmer, more upright flower spikes, a tighter, more rounded form and a stronger, classic lavender scent. It is hardier, coping with temperatures down to about minus 15°C, whereas French lavender can suffer damage below minus 5°C to minus 7°C. In a sheltered town garden with plenty of sunshine and soil that drains freely, French lavender has a better chance of surviving winter and keeping its compact shape. In a cold, exposed garden or on heavy, wet soil, English lavender is the better hedging plant, but we do not sell it. If you want a lavender hedge and your garden is cold, source English lavender elsewhere. Bandera Purple is best suited to milder parts of lowland Britain, where full sun, free-draining soil and some shelter from winter winds give it the conditions it needs.

Spacing per metre for a lavender hedge

Planting distance makes the difference between a gappy row and a dense, continuous lavender hedge. For French lavender Bandera Purple, space plants 30 to 40cm apart in a single row. At 30cm spacing you need 4 plants per linear metre; at 40cm spacing you need 3 plants per metre. A double row, staggered, gives a thicker hedge more quickly, but it is rarely needed for a low lavender edge. If you want a double row, space rows 30cm apart and offset the plants, using 6 to 8 plants per metre in total. Lavender does not knit as tightly as box or privet, so closer spacing helps the plants meet sooner. At 30cm spacing, neighbouring plants may meet after two growing seasons, although growth depends on the starting size, soil and weather. Wider spacing leaves gaps visible for longer, while shade and poor pruning can produce woody, bare stems that seldom regrow.

Planting and soil for a lavender hedge

Lavender needs full sun and sharply drained soil to grow into a healthy hedge. Choose a south-facing or west-facing spot that gets at least six hours of direct sun a day. Heavy clay or waterlogged ground is the main reason lavender hedges fail: the roots rot in wet soil over winter. On heavy clay, a raised planting ridge 10 to 15cm high, filled with a suitable free-draining growing medium, is more useful than adding grit to an individual hole, which can collect water around the roots. The best planting time is spring, from April to early June, when the soil is warming up. You can also plant in early autumn, September to October, while the ground is still warm, giving roots time to settle before winter. Avoid planting in frozen, waterlogged or very dry soil. Dig a trench or individual holes slightly wider and no deeper than the root ball. If water collects in the planting hole, improve drainage across the whole planting area or choose a raised bed rather than adding grit only beneath the root ball. Set each plant so the top of the root ball sits level with the soil surface. Firm gently, water in well and mulch with a 2cm layer of gravel or grit, not bark or compost, to keep the crown dry and suppress weeds. Our French lavender Bandera Purple plants come in 1 litre pots, which establish quickly when planted in warm soil.

• Full sun: at least six hours of direct light daily
• Well-drained soil: avoid heavy, wet clay or improve with grit and a raised bed
• Plant in spring (April to June) or early autumn (September to October)
• Space 30 to 40cm apart in a single row
• Water in thoroughly and mulch with gravel, not bark

Pruning to keep a lavender hedge compact

Regular pruning keeps a lavender hedge dense, neat and free of woody, bare stems. Prune twice a year: a light trim in late summer after the main flowering, and a slightly harder cutback in early spring. The summer trim, around August, removes spent flower stems and about 2 to 3cm of the current year's soft growth. This tidies the hedge and often encourages a second flush of flowers. The spring prune, in March or early April once the worst frosts have passed, shapes the hedge and stops it opening up at the base. Cut back into the green growth but never into old, bare wood: lavender rarely sprouts from leafless stems. Aim to leave at least 5cm of green growth on each stem. If a lavender hedge has become leggy and woody, it is usually better to replace the plants than to try to renovate it by hard pruning. Sharp, clean secateurs or hedging shears give the cleanest cut and reduce the risk of disease.

• Summer trim (August): remove spent flowers and 2 to 3cm of soft growth
• Spring prune (March to April): shape the hedge, cut back into green growth only
• Never cut into old, bare wood: lavender struggles to regrow
• Replace very woody, leggy plants rather than hard pruning

Winter care for a lavender hedge

French lavender is less hardy than English lavender, so a little winter care helps a hedge come through cold months in good shape. Bandera Purple has the best chance of overwintering outdoors in mild, sheltered gardens, particularly where the soil drains freely. Prolonged frost or cold, wet ground can damage or kill plants. In colder gardens or during prolonged frost below minus 5°C, the foliage can blacken and stems may die back. A dry winter mulch of gravel or grit around the base, applied in autumn, protects the crown from wet and cold. Avoid piling compost or bark against the stems, which holds moisture and encourages rot. In very cold spells, a double layer of horticultural fleece draped over the hedge and secured at the sides gives a few degrees of extra protection. Remove fleece during mild, sunny days to let air circulate. Wet winter soil kills more lavender than cold alone, so good drainage is the best winter defence. In spring, any frost-damaged tips can be snipped back to healthy green growth as part of the spring prune.

• Mulch with gravel or grit in autumn, not bark or compost
• In cold gardens, cover with fleece during hard frosts below minus 5°C
• Remove fleece on mild days to prevent condensation and rot
• Good drainage is essential: wet roots over winter cause dieback
• Prune out frost-damaged tips in spring

Feeding and watering a lavender hedge

Lavender grows best in poor to moderately fertile soil and needs very little feeding. Too much nitrogen produces soft, floppy growth that is easily damaged by frost and reduces flowering. If your soil is very sandy or impoverished, a light dressing of sulphate of potash in early spring, around March, encourages strong stems and better flower colour. Avoid high-nitrogen fertilisers and manure. Water newly planted lavender hedges regularly during their first growing season, especially in dry spells, to help roots establish. Once established, lavender is drought-tolerant and rarely needs watering except in prolonged hot, dry weather. Overwatering or planting in soil that stays damp causes root rot and yellowing foliage. A gravel mulch helps conserve moisture while keeping the crown dry.

• Feed sparingly: a little sulphate of potash in spring if soil is very poor
• Avoid nitrogen-rich fertilisers and manure
• Water regularly in the first growing season until established
• Once established, water only during prolonged drought
• Gravel mulch helps retain moisture and protect the crown

Common problems with lavender hedges

Lavender hedges are generally trouble-free in the right conditions, but a few problems can appear. Root rot from wet soil is the most common cause of failure, showing as yellowing leaves, wilting and dieback. Prevention is better than cure: improve drainage before planting. Lavender leaf spot, a fungal disease, causes small brown or grey spots on leaves in wet summers; prune out affected stems and thin the hedge to improve airflow. Rosemary beetle and sage leafhopper occasionally feed on lavender, leaving small holes or pale mottling, but damage is usually cosmetic and plants outgrow it. Frost damage turns leaf tips brown or black in winter; prune back to green growth in spring. If plants become leggy and open at the base, this is usually due to insufficient pruning or too much shade. Move plants or replace them if the hedge has become very woody.

• Root rot: yellowing, wilting, caused by wet soil; improve drainage
• Leaf spot: brown or grey spots in wet weather; prune and improve airflow
• Rosemary beetle and leafhopper: minor cosmetic damage, rarely serious
• Frost damage: brown or black tips; prune in spring
• Leggy growth: caused by too little pruning or too much shade

Month-by-month lavender hedge care calendar

A simple monthly routine keeps a lavender hedge looking tidy and healthy through the year. The table below sets out the key tasks for French lavender Bandera Purple grown as a low hedge in the UK.