The Life of Lavender

Lavender is a hardy, long-lived perennial plant that brings a Mediterranean feel to gardens around the world. Not only is it an aromatic shrub that graces us with flowers of stunning purple hues, but it has over 450 variations. Did you know lavender's fragrance depends on the species? And their colours can range from white, pink, blue, silver to purple!

Being a lavender farm, we've grown our fair share of this special herb (and are currently home to around 35,000 individual lavender plants). So, what exactly are the life stages of lavender? And why is it so important to be familiar with its cycle? Well, to care for something and help it thrive and reach its full potential, we must understand it.

Catering to lavender's specific needs ensures you have healthy plants year after year... for around 10-15 years. Plenty of sunlight, well-draining soil, moderate temperatures, and low humidity are essential for lavender to survive.

Propagation & Seedling

Germinating a seed is the slowest and hardest way to propagate lavender. Another method is to take a cutting from a mature lavender plant, probably the most popular way of propagation. Then you have layering, where you bend a flexible but healthy stem from the parent plant toward the ground and bury it, forcing it to start up as another plant that you can cut off from the original. If successful, a seedling will usually sprout anytime between 2 to 12 weeks. After that, you may pot them or put them in the ground.

Read more on planting lavender for success. This is what planting lavender rows looked like for us when the seedlings where ready:

Juvenile

After the seedling has emerged and up until a lavender plant is about 3 years old, it will be considered a juvenile plant. This is the stage that it does the most growing; focusing on building a strong root system and lush leaves. The young lavender will need regular watering, air circulation, and some pruning carried out to aid with shaping.

Maturation

After a lavender plant has established its roots and gone through enough seasons it will be considered an adult plant at its peak. Annual flowering will be an exciting thing to witness, accompanied by a sweet aroma floating through the garden.

Spring: lavender regrows foliage and prepares to flower

Summer: the flowers will bloom for some 4-5 weeks

Autumn: preparing to head into dormancy

Winter: sleepy season

A shrub may live like this for a decade or so before it starts deteriorating. It's important to keep the conditions consistent throughout the years and remember to prune the lavender plant to help support its wellbeing.

Old age & death

The sad stage of a lavender's life is when it has passed its prime and starts declining in health, with its appearance and fragrance becoming duller and weaker. It's time to replace a lavender plant when it becomes mostly woody and untidy, no longer able to create fresh growth from the base. The plant will get too old to bloom properly and may die soon after.

Take a look at our beloved half circle rows of Lavendula Angustifolia (picture below taken in January 2025). They've thrived for ten amazing years but now have a "wilder" look to them, not quite as uniform as they once were. It may be time to consider removing them and establish newer plants - a big project indeed!

The life of a lavender plant is an interesting one (at least, we think so!). Wānaka Lavender Farm has between 20 and 30 varieties growing here, with a small team of individuals tending to them through their life cycle.

We've got more Farm Stories written about lavender if you're interested in the topic, e.g. Lavandula Angustifolia vs Lavandula x Intermedia: What's The Difference? and Answering Your Questions About Lavender.