French Lavender Plant Care

French Lavender (Lavandula multifida) belongs to the Lamiaceae family within the Lavandula genus. French Lavender is native to the southern regions of the Mediterranean, including Iberia, Sicily, Northwest Africa and the Canary Islands. French Lavender is also known as Cut-leaf Lavender.

French Lavender displays a compact, bushy shrub growth habit, reaching up to 2 ft tall with a spread of approximately 3 ft. French Lavender produces fragrant spikes of purple, blue, or white flowers.

Leaf size: approximately 2 inches.

Water a young or newly planted French Lavender every 7–14 days, soaking the whole root zone, until it is established — usually one to two growing seasons. Established shrubs mainly need water during long dry spells. In a container, water whenever the top few centimetres of soil are dry.

French Lavender thrives in full sun.

Lavandula multifida tolerates temperatures of 60–90°F. French Lavender prefers humidity levels of 30–70%.

Well-draining, sandy soil with a pH of 6.4 to 8.3. Good drainage is essential for French Lavender to prevent waterlogging, which leads to root rot and fungal issues.

Feed French Lavender every 6 months during the growing season with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer at the rate on the label. Established shrubs in good soil often need little extra feeding, so let weak growth or pale foliage guide you.

Stop feeding by late summer so new growth can harden before winter.

The PlantoScan app can remind you when to water and when to fertilize each plant.

Choose a spot with full sun and well-draining, sandy soil with a pH of 6.4 to 8.3. Avoid low spots where water collects after rain.

French Lavender is suited to USDA Zone 8a – 10b.

Plant container-grown or balled-and-burlapped shrubs in spring or early autumn, setting the root flare at soil level, and water well after planting.

French Lavender can spread to about 3 ft (0.9 m) and reach about 2 ft (1 m) tall. Space plants about 3 ft (0.9 m) apart so mature crowns don't crowd each other, and plant at least half that distance from buildings, fences and paths.

Planning a row or hedge? Try the plant spacing calculator.

Prune French Lavender while it is dormant in late winter: first remove dead, damaged and crossing branches, then thin lightly for shape.

If it flowers in spring, prune right after flowering instead so you don't remove next year's buds. Never take off more than about a quarter of the shrub in one year.

French Lavender is hardy down to USDA zone 8a, so once established it can stay outdoors through winter in that zone and warmer ones.

Water deeply in late autumn before the ground freezes, and spread a 5–8 cm (2–3 in) layer of mulch over the root zone, keeping it away from the trunk.

Young and container-grown shrubs need extra protection: roots in a pot freeze much more easily than roots in the ground.

French Lavender can be propagated through seeds, softwood cuttings. Similar propagation techniques also apply to spanish lavender plant care, which shares the same genus.

See all plants toxic to cats and plants toxic to dogs.

French Lavender is susceptible to aphids, whiteflies, spider mites. Inspect the foliage regularly, especially along leaf undersides and stems. Treat infestations promptly with insecticidal soap or neem oil to prevent spread.

Yellow leaves, brown tips or drooping? See common plant problems and how to fix them.

French Lavender grows outdoors in USDA Zone 8a – 10b. It survives winters down to planting zone 8a. French Lavender is native to the southern regions of the Mediterranean, including Iberia, Sicily, Northwest Africa and the Canary Islands.