Did My Lavender Die This Winter?

Did My Lavender Die This Winter?

Lavender is a beautiful and very beneficial herb.  The large flower heads and long stems are highly desired by all who see them.  But how do they do in cold winter climates?  Do they die in the snow?  What about the wind chill factor? Here are a few quick tips for wintering your lavender.

Depending on the variety of lavender you have, cold winters are good.  Take the English lavender Folgate for instance.   It is ideal for cold climates.  A thick layer of snow is just what it needs to produce large flower heads and high yielding oil production.

One problem with cold winters is the wind.  If there is not enough snow to insulate the lavender from the wind, the lavender could easily die. A simple solution to this problem is building or planting a wind-break.  A row of trees outlining your lavender field or a berm around it is all it needs to be protected from the deadly wind chill of winter.

Lavender is pretty hardy, unless you over water it.  Below is an English Buena Vista lavender that was not taken care of as it should have been.  It is two years old here.

 This lavender was not pruned back in the fall as it should have been.  Because of that, it has a lot of winter die-back that needs to be cut out.

Here is the same lavender after a gentle cut out.  You can get even more aggressive in your cutting out of winter die-back.

This is what the same lavender plant looks like just a few weeks later.  This particular variety of lavender will give you a continuous bloom, depending on your climate.  This is its first bloom of the season.

Remember, most lavender is hardy in zones 5-9.  That doesn't mean it won't die in these zones.  Don't over water, prune it back and protect it from winter winds and you will have a beautiful lavender plant for many years to come.

For more information about lavender and it's benefits visit us at Lavendoola.com.