Harvest guide
When to harvest broad-leaved lavender
How to harvest broad-leaved lavender
Snip whole flower heads with scissors, leaving foliage behind. Handle lightly — bruised petals lose their aroma and discolour as they dry.
Storing your harvest
Dry on a rack or in loose bunches somewhere warm, dark and airy, then store in an airtight jar out of the light. Sunlight bleaches both colour and scent.
The mistake to avoid
Picking wet, or in the afternoon heat. Damp flowers go mouldy as they dry, and midday picking loses much of the aroma.
More broad-leaved lavender care
- When to harvest spike lavender — the species this cultivar belongs to
- Full broad-leaved lavender care guide
- How to prune broad-leaved lavender
- How to propagate broad-leaved lavender
- Growing broad-leaved lavender in a pot
- How to overwinter broad-leaved lavender
- Best plant identifier apps — tested and ranked
Harvesting broad-leaved lavender — FAQ
When is broad-leaved lavender ready to harvest?
Just fully open, on a dry morning after the dew has lifted but before midday heat. Broad-Leaved Lavender is harvested for its flowers, and timing within the day matters as much as the season. Pick when blooms have just fully opened — that is when the aromatic oils are at their strongest. Regular picking also keeps the plant producing, since it stops it setting seed.
How do you harvest broad-leaved lavender?
Snip whole flower heads with scissors, leaving foliage behind. Handle lightly — bruised petals lose their aroma and discolour as they dry.
How do you store broad-leaved lavender after harvesting?
Dry on a rack or in loose bunches somewhere warm, dark and airy, then store in an airtight jar out of the light. Sunlight bleaches both colour and scent.
What is the most common broad-leaved lavender harvesting mistake?
Picking wet, or in the afternoon heat. Damp flowers go mouldy as they dry, and midday picking loses much of the aroma.