Growli
Let's go

Plant care

Woolly Lavender care

Lavandula lanata

Also called Woolly lavender, White-woolly lavender.

RHS H4USDA 7-9Toxic to petsIndoor 60–75 cm tall and 60–75 cm wide (24–30 in × 24–30 in).

Watering rhythm

2-3weeks

Every 2–3 weeks in the growing season; very sparingly in winter

Jump to schedule→Get smart reminders in the app

Light

Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours)

Soil

Sharply drained, lean, alkaline soil, pH 7.0–8.5

Humidity

Low (20–45% RH)

Temp

-10°C to 38°C

Pet safety

Toxic to pets

Mature size

60–75 cm tall and 60–75 cm wide (24–30 in × 24–30 in).

Care at a glance

Light

Most houseplants will scorch where woolly lavender thrives. Give it the windowsill you'd otherwise leave empty because everything else burned there. Demands a full-sun position for at least 6–8 hours daily; the dense woolly coating on the leaves evolved for intense solar radiation and poor flowering results in shade. A plant moved abruptly from low light to direct sun bleaches in 48 hours — always acclimatise over a week.

Watering

Aim for every 2–3 weeks in the growing season; very sparingly in winter for woolly lavender, but treat that as a starting point rather than a rule. A south-facing summer windowsill will dry the pot twice as fast as a north-facing winter room. Lift the pot; if it feels noticeably lighter than it did wet, water it. Highly drought-tolerant; the woolly leaves reduce moisture loss and overwatering, particularly in winter, causes rapid root rot and crown rot.

Soil and pot

Woolly Lavender grows best in sharply drained, lean, alkaline soil, ph 7.0–8.5. Native to rocky limestone slopes; thrives in gravelly, infertile soil — avoid fertile or moisture-retentive composts that promote lush soft growth prone to disease. A pot with a working drainage hole is non-negotiable for this species — even free-draining mix will turn soggy in a closed planter. If you love the look of a decorative pot without a hole, use it as a cachepot around an inner nursery pot you can lift out to water.

Humidity and temperature

Woolly Lavender sits happiest at around Low (20–45% RH) humidity and -10°C to 38°C (14°F to 100°F). Very sensitive to high humidity and summer rain; the woolly indumentum that repels drought can trap fungal spores, so ensure excellent ventilation. If you keep the room above year-round and avoid placing the plant near a cold draught, a hot radiator, or an air-conditioning vent, you have already handled the two biggest indoor stressors.

Fertilising

Feed woolly lavender sparingly. Feed very sparingly or not at all; a single light application of slow-release, low-nitrogen granules in early spring is sufficient. Rich feeding ruins plant habit and reduces hardiness. Skip fertiliser entirely on a stressed, recently-repotted, or actively wilting plant — fertiliser salts make damage worse, not better. Wait for a round of healthy new growth before resuming a feeding rhythm.

Common problems

Below are the issues we see most often on woolly lavender in the Growli community. Each is annotated with the most common cause so you know where to start.

  • Root and crown rot in wet winters — The primary cause of loss in UK gardens; sitting water at the crown during cold spells kills quickly. Grow in raised beds or containers with extra grit, and shelter from prolonged winter rain.
  • Shab / Phoma lavandulae — A fungal die-back that blackens individual branches; more prevalent in warm, humid summers. Remove affected stems promptly to healthy wood and improve air circulation.

Propagation

Take 5–8 cm semi-ripe cuttings with a heel in summer; root in a free-draining mix of perlite and grit under a cold frame or unheated greenhouse. Seed-raised plants show more variation. Propagation is the cheapest, most satisfying way to expand a collection — and it doubles as insurance against losing a mature plant to an accident. Take a backup cutting once the parent is established and healthy.

Toxicity to pets

Woolly Lavender is toxic to pets. ASPCA lists Lavandula spp. as toxic to cats, dogs, and horses. Toxic principles are linalool and linalyl acetate, which cause nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite. If you keep cats, dogs, or curious children in the house, weigh placement carefully — a high shelf or a hanging planter is enough for casual safety. For severe ingestion incidents, call your local vet and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (in the US, 888-426-4435).

Pet-safety status is sourced from the ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List, which catalogues the most-asked-about plants for cats, dogs, and horses.

Woolly Lavender care — frequently asked questions

What is Woolly Lavender?

Woolly Lavender (Lavandula lanata) is a culinary herb with a compact, upright, evergreen dwarf shrub with distinctively broad, white-felted leaves and tall, slender flowering spikes. growth habit, reaching 60–75 cm tall and 60–75 cm wide (24–30 in × 24–30 in). at maturity. A distinctive Spanish mountain lavender with conspicuously white-woolly stems and broad silver-white leaves that give the plant a striking textural appearance unlike any other lavender. It produces long, slender spikes of deep violet-purple, strongly fragrant flowers in summer and is moderately cold-hardy for a Mediterranean species.

How much light does woolly lavender need?

Woolly Lavender grows best in direct sun (at least 4-6 hours). Demands a full-sun position for at least 6–8 hours daily; the dense woolly coating on the leaves evolved for intense solar radiation and poor flowering results in shade.

How often should I water woolly lavender?

Water woolly lavender every 2–3 weeks in the growing season; very sparingly in winter. Highly drought-tolerant; the woolly leaves reduce moisture loss and overwatering, particularly in winter, causes rapid root rot and crown rot. The finger-test (or lifting the pot to feel its weight) beats a fixed weekly calendar because pot size, light, and season all change how fast the soil dries.

Is woolly lavender toxic to cats and dogs?

Woolly Lavender is toxic to pets. ASPCA lists Lavandula spp. as toxic to cats, dogs, and horses. Toxic principles are linalool and linalyl acetate, which cause nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite.

What USDA hardiness zone does woolly lavender grow in?

Woolly Lavender is rated for USDA zone 7-9 and RHS hardiness H4. Outside that range, grow it as a container plant that overwinters indoors before the first hard frost.

Woolly Lavender deep-dive guides

Every aspect of woolly lavender care, each with its own calibrated guide:

Featured in these plant shortlists

Woolly Lavender qualifies for 1 curated Growli shortlist — each one filtered objectively from our structured plant-care library, so the selection is consistent and checkable:

Related guides

Woolly Lavender is also commonly called Woolly lavender or White-woolly lavender.