Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Broad-Leaved Lavender (Lavandula latifolia)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Broad-leaved lavender, Spike lavender, Portuguese lavender.

More about broad-leaved lavender

About Broad-Leaved Lavender

Lavandula latifolia · also called Broad-leaved lavender, Spike lavender · herb

A wild Mediterranean species closely related to English lavender but with noticeably broader, grey-green leaves and branched flowering stems bearing multiple flower spikes — a distinguishing feature from the single-stemmed English lavender. It is widely cultivated for its camphor-rich essential oil, which is produced in far greater quantity than from L. angustifolia, though with a coarser scent profile. Full sun and excellent drainage are the key requirements; it is moderately hardy and may need protection in colder parts of its USDA range. Lavender is toxic to cats, dogs, and horses according to the ASPCA.

Cold limit: USDA 6-9 · RHS H5 (-12°C to 38°C)

Watch for — Winter dieback in cold-wet soils: The combination of cold and waterlogged soil causes crown rot; plant on a slope or raised bed and mulch with gravel around the crown rather than organic matter.

What broad-leaved lavender's hardiness rating actually means

Yes — broad-leaved lavender is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H5 and USDA 6-9, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. Its RHS rating of H5 means: Hardy in most of the UK and in cold winters. On the US scale that maps to USDA 6-9 — the zones where it can be left outdoors year-round.

New to these scales? The USDA hardiness zone map explained covers how the zone numbers work, and you can find your own zone with the zone finder.

Minimum temperature — and what happens below it

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about −15 to −10 °C. Broad-Leaved Lavender is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

Concretely, for broad-leaved lavender as it gets too cold:

It tolerates winter lows to about −15 to −10 °C once established.
Below its rated zone, the visible damage is browned or blackened top growth and, in the worst case, a killed crown or root.
First-year, newly planted, or container-grown specimens are noticeably less hardy than established garden plants — the roots are exposed.

Can broad-leaved lavender go outside or overwinter — and where?

Plant it out within USDA 6-9 and it overwinters with little or no help.
It does not want to come indoors — a warm winter room actually weakens a hardy plant by denying it dormancy.
The real risks in its range are waterlogging, wind-rock on young plants, and a late hard frost on new growth — not ordinary winter cold.

Work back from your local frost dates with the frost-date calculator: the last spring frost and first autumn frost are what really decide when broad-leaved lavender can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H5 figure above.

Broad-Leaved Lavender hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is broad-leaved lavender cold hardy?

Yes — broad-leaved lavender is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H5 and USDA 6-9, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Broad-Leaved Lavender is hardy across USDA 6-9; it belongs in the ground or a frost-proof container, not on a windowsill, and many types actively need a cold winter to perform.

What is the minimum temperature broad-leaved lavender can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about −15 to −10 °C. Broad-Leaved Lavender is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

What hardiness zone is broad-leaved lavender?

Broad-Leaved Lavender is rated USDA 6-9 and RHS H5 — Hardy in most of the UK and in cold winters.

Can broad-leaved lavender survive winter outside?

Plant it out within USDA 6-9 and it overwinters with little or no help. It does not want to come indoors — a warm winter room actually weakens a hardy plant by denying it dormancy. The real risks in its range are waterlogging, wind-rock on young plants, and a late hard frost on new growth — not ordinary winter cold.

What happens to broad-leaved lavender below its minimum temperature?

It tolerates winter lows to about −15 to −10 °C once established. Below its rated zone, the visible damage is browned or blackened top growth and, in the worst case, a killed crown or root. First-year, newly planted, or container-grown specimens are noticeably less hardy than established garden plants — the roots are exposed.