Close your eyes and imagine the scent of Provence. That’s French Lavender. Also known as Toothed Lavender or Fringed Lavender, this compact, spreading evergreen shrub forms a dense, bushy mound of upright branches clothed in narrow, greyish-green leaves with beautifully scalloped or toothed margins. Those leaves are highly aromatic and slightly sticky, releasing the classic, soothing lavender fragrance when brushed. From late winter through spring and summer, slender stems bear short, dense spikes of small, pale violet-blue to purple flowers, each topped with showy, papery purple bracts.
Native to the western Mediterranean, French Lavender is perfectly suited to the Western Cape’s winter-rainfall climate. It thrives in full sun—at least 6 hours of direct light for the most abundant flowers and compact shape—and demands very well-drained, even sandy or gritty soil. Once established, it’s remarkably drought-tolerant and water-wise, handling coastal and windy conditions with ease and is reasonably hardy to light to moderate frost. Reaching about 60cm to 1m tall and wide, it’s perfect for borders, low hedges, rockeries, containers, or as a fragrant accent in Mediterranean gardens.
Key Features:
- Soft purple-blue flower spikes with papery bracts produced over a long season
- Distinctive, scalloped, grey-green leaves release a classic lavender scent
- A magnet for bees and butterflies throughout its flowering season
- Water-wise once established; ideal for borders, low hedges, or containers
Gardening Note: Plant in well-drained soil in full sun for the most abundant flowering and compact growth. Water regularly until established; mature plants are highly drought-tolerant and prefer to dry out between waterings. Prune back lightly after the main flowering flush (in late summer or early spring) to maintain a tidy, bushy shape. Avoid cutting back into old, woody wood.
