You will likely find lavender in your garden mix if you are going to plant vegetables, herbs, landscapes, or other plants. No matter if you are a beginner or an expert gardener, it is important to plant lavender in the best spot.

Lavender should be planted in full sun with at least 6 hours of sunshine per day. The shade will cause lavender to wither and not grow. Lavender that is grown in full sunlight will produce more blooms and a stronger plant.

We will discuss why lavender requires full sun, not shade, as well as the best ways to plant lavender. Continue reading to ensure your lavender blooms brightly!

If You’re Harvesting Lavender You’ll Want Full Sun

To thrive and grow properly, lavender needs to be in full sunlight. If you plant vegetables in shade, it is likely that they will not grow properly and thrive. Yuck!

Lavender, an indigenous perennial, is native to the Mediterranean, Middle East, India and other parts of Europe. It is also found in the mountains and coasts regions. This will help you to understand the climates that lavender thrives in.

Lavender is the same. If you want big purple blooms, you will need to plant it in full sunlight.

There are also some lavender varieties that can tolerate shade, but more on that later.

You are now growing lavender. No matter what purpose you have for it, whether it’s for landscaping, herb, or other purposes, it will need to be in full sunlight to grow it. You’ll probably want to harvest it if you have ever seen it, grown it or had it in your yard.

Lavender Needs Full Sun For Fragrant Blooms

You’ll probably want to enjoy the lavender’s sweet scent if you grow it. Where does that sweet fragrance come from? It’s the blooms!

What do you need to grow fragrant lavender flowers? The sun! It must receive at least 6-8 hours of sunlight per day in order to grow flowers.

The amount of sunlight that a flower receives is directly related to its oil production. Soil fertility is another factor. It could be that your lavender is not producing fragrant blooms despite being in full sunlight. This sounds counterintuitive.

Excessive nutrients such as nitrogen are common in fertile soil. The excessive nitrogen can cause lavender to turn yellow due to it receiving too many nutrients. It will also become leggy. It will also start to lose flower production.

There are other lavender varieties that have stronger scents than others, or that smell like rosemary or pine. Lavandula intermedia‘Grosso’ is the most strong-smelling variety of lavender.

There are four types, each with different growth habits, sun requirements and looks. The ‘Grosso” lavender is part French lavender. However, there are four types of lavender: English, Portuguese and Spanish as well as Lavandin, which are hybrids.

If we haven’t made it obvious, the sun is the main idea! You’ll want to protect your skin from the sun if you tend to your lavender plants during the day.

This Quiksilver Men’s Pierside Lifeguard Beach Solar Straw Hat will keep you cool while you garden! You can choose from a variety of sizes and colors. It is big enough to block the sun from all angles.

Lavender Needs Full Sun To Control Soil Moisture Content

Lavender will not tolerate prolonged periods of sitting in moist soils. This will be a problem if the soil is not well-drained and has full sunlight. This can lead to many diseases, especially if there is no water.

Over-watering, just as with most plants is a major problem.

You’ve probably heard of powdery mildew or root rot if you’ve ever cared for ornamentals, flowers or vegetables in your yard. They aren’t the only ones! Even without the sun drying out excess water in the soil, lavender is just as vulnerable.

Poor drainage and shade can cause your lavender plants to suffer. These symptoms include yellowing, wilting and leggy-ness.

Most lavender varieties can’t tolerate being in saturated soil. It is possible for your lavender to survive in clayey soil that is slow draining or in areas that are frequently flooded. However, you might need to work harder to ensure it continues to grow.

These tips will help you to grow lavender if you live in clay soil.

First, grow lavender in clay soils. You need to have 6-8 hours of sun each day. It’s amazing!

Next, plant lavender higher than the water table to make it more elevated. This can be done in the form a mound, or a raised soilbed that looks like a semicircle.

Finally, when you plant lavender in clay soils, dig twice as deep as the plant, then backfill with limestone, sand and compost.

The VPG Fertilome PEEL318 6Lb Agricul Limestone will help to correct soil acidity and improve drainage if you choose to use this method.

These tips can greatly improve drainage and help your lavender grow in poor draining soil.

Shade Increases The Chance Of Pathogens In Lavender

You might have already guessed the next item on our list: lavender ailments.

• Powdery mildew can be found on the leaves of lavender plants. It is a fungal disease.
• Root rot can be caused by poor drainage, overwatering, or a buildup of soil under the lavender. This is a problem that can occur in indoor plants but it can also happen in lavender because they are very finicky about soaking in water. This can quickly lead to the death of your lavender.
• Shab’-Phomopsis, a fungal disease that affects the stems and leaves of lavender, could be the cause.
• Verticillium, a soil-borne fungal disease, is found in areas near lavender. It can affect over 400 plant species. It is difficult to control because it is a soil-borne illness. This pathogen causes damage to the xylem vessels that transport water from the roots into the leaves.
• Alfalfa Mosaic virus is a phytopathogen which causes lavender leaves turn yellow and curl up. This pathogen is transmitted by insects, mostly aphids but also through pollen and seeds.

Growth Of Lavender Is Dependent On Full Sun

The amount of sunlight that lavender gets is directly related to its growth. Your lavender will not grow as densely and full-bodied if it doesn’t receive 6-8 hours of direct sunlight every day.

The right location is key to ensuring that lavender grows lushly and produces lots of flowers and buds.

We’ll show you what a leggy plant looks like if you haven’t seen one before. It’s sparse and doesn’t have dense full growth. It also looks very lanky. It usually has a lot tall stems and not much else. You might not get the beautiful, fragrant flowers that you wanted.

We have already mentioned that root rot and other pathogens can be a problem when lavender is grown in an inappropriate location. The right amount of sunlight is essential to ensure a plant grows strong and will come back year after year.

Does Lavender Grow In The Shade?

Shade is not a good environment for lavender. Some varieties, such as French lace lavender and Spanish lavender, are more tolerant of shade than others. However, this doesn’t mean they will thrive in too much shade.

You should ensure that your lavender plants are placed where there is full sun, whether it’s in your garden, landscape, or yard.

Most Common Types Of Lavender

To determine the best conditions for lavender, it has been repeatedly tested. This includes things such as drought tolerance, moisture tolerance, soil composition tolerance.

Lavandula Angustifolia This is the most commonly-found type of lavender and comes in many varieties.

Different varieties can be tolerant of different conditions so make sure you read and research the label before planting. This means that Lavandula Angustifolia can tolerate drought conditions well, but not show signs of stress. Other lavenders, however, prefer moist conditions and won’t tolerate drought.

The most common lavender types you’ll find are:

• English lavender
• ‘Hidcote’ English lavender
• English lavender ‘Munstead’
• Lavandin
• Lavandin – ‘Hidcote Giant’
• Spanish lavender
• Lavender from France

English Lavender

English lavender is drought-tolerant and requires well-draining soil. It thrives in USDA Hardiness Zones 5 through 8. It can grow to 3 feet high!

Lavender is used most often in baking and cooking, as well as essential oils.

‘Hidcote’ English Lavender

The ‘Hidcote,’ which has silver foliage and fragrant flowers, is next. This compact variety thrives in well-draining soil.

This variety can be found in USDA Hardiness Zones 8 through 8. It grows to 20 inches high, which is significantly smaller than the English lavender.

English Lavender – ‘Munstead”

Another compact-growing lavender variety is the ‘Munstead. This variety also comes with silver-gray leaves, like the Hidcote. It thrives in well-draining soil, and can grow to 18 inches high.

This one, like the other lavenders, thrives in USDA Hardiness Zones 5-8.

Lavandin

Lavandin lavenders can be described as a hybrid of lavender and English lavender. These are a hybrid of English lavender and spike lavenders. They are commonly used in oils and perfumes. This variety is sensitive to dry conditions and warm temperatures and requires well-draining soil.

This variety can grow to 2 feet in height and thrives in USDA Hardiness Zones 5-8.

‘Hidcote Giant’ Lavandin

The ‘Hidcote Giant,’ a giant that can grow up to three feet tall, lives up to its name. It is well-known for its tall, abundant flowers. It thrives in well-draining soil, USDA Hardiness Zones 5-8.

Spanish Lavender

Moving on to Spanish lavender. Spanish lavender is a completely different species than English lavender. It can also withstand high temperatures.

You can mix English lavender with Spanish lavender to create spring and summer blooms.

This lavender can grow to 2 feet in height and thrives in USDA Hardiness Zones 8-11.

French Lavender

There are a few varieties of French lavender that look cool. Lavandula dietata is a cool-looking variety that looks like yarrow or ferns.

French lavender is a slightly different variety. It blooms in spring and continues to bloom into the summer and fall.

It can grow up to 3 feet in height and thrives in USDA Hardiness Zones 8-11.

You should now be able to identify the best lavender type for you.

That’s All For Now!

We appreciate you sticking with us as we learn more about whether lavender can grow in the shade.

We hope you found these helpful tips to help you understand why lavender requires full sun , not shade in order to grow beautiful, fragrant flowers that we love.