TIL my local nursery had two types of lavender, and I had to pick one for my window box.

The choice was between English lavender, which is hardy for our zone 5 winters, and French lavender, which has those pretty little 'rabbit ear' flowers but might not survive a freeze. I went with the English type, and it's already starting to smell amazing on my sunny kitchen windowsill. Has anyone here tried growing French lavender in a colder climate and had it come back?

2 comments

2 Comments

mary_johnson524d ago

My neighbor in zone 6b pots her French lavender and wheels it into an unheated garage every November. She says the key is keeping it totally dry and dark during dormancy. It has come back for three years now, but she admits it's a lot of fuss for a plant. Your English lavender was definitely the smarter choice for a carefree window box.

elliot_allen653d ago

Honestly, that fuss is part of the fun for some of us. It's like a little winter project, checking on it in the garage. My French lavender makes it worth the work because the scent is just stronger to me. I get why people pick English for easy care, but a few minutes of wheeling a pot around feels like a fair trade.