English lavender
Sources last read 14 September 2026.
Forgiving Among the more tolerant plants here.
Also called common lavender, English Lavendar, Lavender, Narrow-Leaved Lavender and spike-oil plant.
Toxicity is partly unassessed
- Not assessed for cats. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
- Not assessed for dogs. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
- Not assessed for people. RHS publishes no harm statement for this plant. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
What the sources say about its care
- Light
- Full sunRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Water
- Well-drainedRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Humidity
No source read publishes a humidity figure for any plant on this site. What follows is general guidance for foliage plants.
ASHRAE recommends indoor relative humidity between 30% and 60% 30–60%Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026- Temperature
How cold this tolerates, not what it prefers. No source read for this site publishes a preferred range for a plant indoors.
H5 — -15 to -10°C -15 to -10 °CRHS · read 13 September 2026- Soil
- Chalk, Loam, Sand; pH Acid or Alkaline or NeutralRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to cats
- Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to dogs
- Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Harmful to people
- No statement of harm to people is published for this plant; that absence is not evidence it is safe.RHS · read 13 September 2026
How it usually goes wrong
- Buds form and fall before they open
Buds appear on the English lavender and then fall while still closed, often within days of the plant being moved, turned or left to dry out.
Its source places it in full sun. A bud formed in that light and then turned away from it, or left in drying compost, is the first thing the plant gives up.
Telling it apart: When the buds dropped. Within days of a move or a dry spell is the change; buds that drop with nothing changed point at uneven watering or pests on the buds.
RHSDiagnose leaf drop on this English lavender- Dry scorched spots after a move into a sunnier spot
On a English lavender the marks are patchy and one-sided. Leaves on the shaded side of the plant keep their colour entirely.
Glass concentrates what would be tolerable outdoors, because it holds the heat and removes the moving air that carried it away. Its source describes full sun.
Telling it apart: Whether it followed a move or a season. Scorch appears within days of a change in position.
RHSDiagnose spots on the leaves on this English lavender- Dry, bruised edges after a cold, windy spell
The damage on the English lavender is one-sided and appeared all at once: browned margins, splits and bruised leaves facing the prevailing wind, while the sheltered side is clean.
RHS describes it as needing shelter. Moving air dries leaf surfaces quickly and bruises soft tissue, so a plant in a windy spot is marked on the side the wind reaches.
Telling it apart: Which side. Wind marks the side facing it; dry soil marks the whole plant.
RHSEnglish lavender brown leaf tips and edges: causes- Edges of the leaves brown while the middle stays sound
Tips first on a English lavender, then margins. Affected tissue is papery and slightly curled, and the damage stops rather than advancing once conditions change.
Penn State Extension notes that most indoor plants benefit from more humidity than a home heated in winter provides. The leaf edge, furthest from the veins, is where the shortfall shows. That applies while it is grown indoors; its RHS rating of H5 describes a plant that also grows outside, where the air is seldom that dry.
Telling it apart: Whether the damage advances. Dry air marks a leaf and stops; rot keeps going.
Penn State ExtensionEnglish lavender brown leaf tips and edges: causes- Leaves lose their firmness and recover after water
Leaves on the English lavender that were rigid go soft and crease along their length. The pot feels noticeably light when lifted.
Soil described as well-drained still has to hold some water. Once it is dry right through, the roots have nothing to take up and the leaves lose the pressure that holds them firm.
Telling it apart: Lift the pot. A plant that is light and sagging is thirsty; one that is heavy and sagging is not.
RHSDiagnose drooping on this English lavender
Not sure which it is? Ask the diagnosis questions for English lavender.
Routine care
- Watering
- Where soil is heavy, improve drainage, since the plant does not cope with waterlogging.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Feeding
- Potash encourages flowers, whereas manure and high-nitrogen fertilisers make plants floppy.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Propagation
- Use seed, division or stem cuttings to propagate.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026In spring sow seed in a cold frame, or in summer take semi-hardwood cuttings. A video on taking lavender cuttings has more guidance.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pruning
- Pruning group 10; deadhead once flowering ends. A late-summer trim stops plants getting straggly, though plants can be left for a season to give wildlife seeds or shelter. In wet or cold areas, do not prune in autumn, as plants may then suffer winter damage. Do not cut into old wood.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pests and diseases
- Can be troubled by cuckoo spit (froghoppers) and rosemary beetle. Diseases: a high-risk host of Xylella fastidiosa; grey moulds (Botrytis) and, rarely, honey fungus can occur.RHS · read 13 September 2026
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Photographs
About the plant
Lavandula angustifolia, formerly L. officinalis, is a flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae, native to the Mediterranean basin. Its common names include lavender, true lavender and English lavender ; also garden lavender, common lavender and narrow-leaved lavender.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · read 13 September 2026
- Native range
- NE. Spain to ItalyWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026Mediterranean region France, Italy, SpainNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026S EuropeRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Climate
- temperateWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- Growth form
- subshrubWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026Herbaceous Perennial, Shrub; habit broad, mounding, multi-stemmed, roundedNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Bushy (evergreen)RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Size
- Height 12–24 in; width 24–36 inNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Height 0.5-1 metres; spread 1-1.5 metres after 2–5 yearsRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Flowering
- Flowers pink, purple/lavender, white; blooms in summerNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Flowers purple in summerRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Uses
What sources record people using this plant for. A traditional or medicinal use listed here is a record of use, not advice to eat it or treat anything with it.
Potpourri; herb pillows; crafts, vinegars, jellies.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
Common problems with English lavender
More of the Lamiaceae family
RosemaryCrisp margins that appear in winter
Sweet basilA thin dry rim that crumbles between the fingers
Caribbean OreganoSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
ColeusSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
- No photograph yetColeus thyrsoideusSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
Plectranthus oertendahliiSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
Plants with similar care
Blue passion flowerA thin dry rim that crumbles between the fingers
Bush lilyDry, curled edges on leaves near a heater
Dog roseEdges of the leaves brown while the middle stays sound
Flaming KatyA thin dry rim that crumbles between the fingers
Hardy fuchsiaBrown, papery patches on the leaves nearest the glass
HyacinthFlowering stops while the foliage carries on
Sources
- ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Wikipedia · read 13 September 2026
What this does not cover
The figures above are what published sources say, not measurements of the plant in your room. They say nothing about your pot size, your water, the season, or how far from the glass the plant stands, and those decide more than any figure here does.
Humidity has no species figure because no source read for this site publishes one, and the only temperature published for this plant is a cold floor. The simulator fills those gaps with general figures for its kind of plant, marked as general and listed on how we read sources. Where a toxicity row says the plant was not assessed, that is the absence of a finding and not a finding of safety.
If something is already wrong, the diagnosis tool asks about the soil, the window and the watering, which is where the answer usually is.