30 Lavender Varieties Ranked: Which Perform Best in Pots, Borders and Hedges

Lavender is one of the most-planted garden perennials in North America — and one of the most misunderstood. Most gardeners grab whatever is in stock at the garden center, only to find their plant collapses in a wet winter, bolts to three feet, or refuses to rebloom. The variety you choose determines cold hardiness, mature height, flowering season, fragrance profile, and whether a plant will thrive in a 12-inch pot or needs open ground to reach its potential.

This guide covers 30 proven lavender varieties, grouped by species so you can instantly match a plant to your garden’s conditions. Each entry includes USDA hardiness zones, mature dimensions, defining trait, and the garden situation it handles best — pots, borders, cutting gardens, or formal hedges. For full cultivation detail, see our complete lavender growing guide; for container-specific advice, visit our guide to growing lavender in pots.

The four species groups — English, French, Spanish, and hybrid lavandin — have genuinely different requirements and capabilities. Choosing the wrong group for your climate is the single most common reason lavender disappoints.

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Not sure where to start? These eight varieties cover every common garden scenario.

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English Lavender Varieties (Lavandula angustifolia)

English lavender is the hardiest group — most varieties survive to USDA Zone 5 (−20°F) — and produces the cleanest, sweetest fragrance with no camphor overlay. It blooms once in summer (late June to early August) on straight, neat spikes above compact silver-grey mounds. Compact growth makes it ideal for formal borders, low hedges, edging, and containers. In Zones 4–8, properly drained English lavender is essentially bulletproof.

1. ‘Hidcote’ — The Classic Deep Purple

Size: 12–18″ tall and wide. Zones: 5–8. Named after the National Trust garden in the Cotswolds, ‘Hidcote’ is the benchmark English lavender. The flower spikes produce a saturated violet-purple that is deeper than almost any other angustifolia. It holds an RHS Award of Garden Merit and consistently tops lavender trials for colour intensity. The compact mound rarely exceeds 18 inches, making it ideal for knot gardens, low hedges (plant 12 inches apart), and 10-inch containers. Key trait: Deepest purple in its class. Best for: Formal borders, hedging, cutting.

2. ‘Munstead’ — The Hardy Beginner’s Choice

Size: 12–18″. Zones: 4–8. Introduced around 1916 and named after Gertrude Jekyll’s Surrey garden, ‘Munstead’ is a half-shade paler than ‘Hidcote’ — soft blue-purple rather than deep violet — but its crucial advantage is hardiness. It reliably survives Zone 4 winters where ‘Hidcote’ occasionally fails. Early blooming (typically two weeks ahead of most angustifolia) also makes it the better performer in shorter northern summers. Key trait: Zone 4 hardiness, earliest flowering. Best for: Northern climates, mixed borders.

3. ‘Vera’ — The Tall Aromatic

Size: 24–36″. Zones: 5–9. ‘Vera’ (Dutch lavender) was historically the primary oil crop of Provence before lavandin hybrids displaced it. It grows significantly taller than other angustifolia — up to three feet — with long, silver-grey spikes that make spectacular cut flowers. The fragrance is intensely sweet and clean, with none of the camphor found in lavandin, making it the best angustifolia for distillation. Tolerates slightly more humidity than ‘Hidcote’. Key trait: Tallest angustifolia, exceptional fragrance. Best for: Cutting garden, back of border.

4. ‘Alba’ — Pure White Flowers

Size: 12–18″. Zones: 5–8. White-flowered lavender surprises gardeners who encounter it for the first time — the scent is unmistakeably lavender, not a pale imitation. ‘Alba’’s ghost-white spikes contrast beautifully with silver-grey foliage. Most effective in white-themed borders or massed at the front of a dark hedge where the pale flowers register strongly. Also striking in combination with blue-purple Salvia nemorosa. Key trait: Pure-white blooms. Best for: White gardens, formal pots.

5. ‘Rosea’ — Warm Pink Spikes

Size: 12–18″. Zones: 5–8. ‘Rosea’ produces soft blush-pink to dusky rose flower spikes that transition from shell pink to mauve as they age. It pairs naturally with roses, peonies, and other cottage garden classics. Fragrance is characteristic lavender with a slightly floral overlay. Plant against a dark-foliage backdrop — the pale flowers have the most visual impact in contrast. Key trait: Soft rose-pink flowers. Best for: Cottage borders, cut flowers.

6. ‘Miss Katherine’ — Deep Rose, RHS AGM

Size: 18–24″. Zones: 5–8. Where ‘Rosea’ is soft, ‘Miss Katherine’ is bold — deep rose-pink, almost magenta, with fat, well-filled flower spikes. It holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit and scored high for colour intensity and vigour in Wisley trials. Slightly taller than other pink selections, it works at the mid-border rather than the front. Key trait: Deepest pink in angustifolia. Best for: Mid-border accent, cutting.

7. ‘Little Lottie’ — Dwarf Pink for Small Spaces

Size: 10–12″. Zones: 5–8. One of the smallest English lavenders available, ‘Little Lottie’ tops out at just 12 inches — the right scale for 6–8-inch pots, window boxes, and low edging in knot gardens. Flowers are soft shell-pink with a long blooming window of up to 12 weeks in optimal conditions. The miniature habit ensures it stays proportionate in containers where full-sized varieties overwhelm. Key trait: Ultra-compact, longest blooming window. Best for: Window boxes, small pots, rock gardens.

8. ‘Hidcote Giant’ — Tall Deep Purple

Size: 24–30″. Zones: 5–8. Same deep violet-purple as ‘Hidcote’ but nearly twice the height, with proportionally longer spikes that are outstanding as cut flowers. Despite the name, this is not a ‘Hidcote’ hybrid — simply a taller growing-on selection with similar colour. Space at 24 inches for a hedge; plants merge into a dense screen within two seasons. Key trait: Tall deep-purple spikes. Best for: Back of border, tall hedging, cutting.

9. ‘Loddon Blue’ — True Blue Tone

Size: 12–18″. Zones: 5–8. Most lavenders labelled “purple” lean violet; ‘Loddon Blue’ genuinely skews toward slate-blue. This cooler tone integrates exceptionally well with silver and grey foliage plants — Stachys byzantina, Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’, Eryngium — creating calming, monochromatic combinations. Compact habit, RHS AGM, and will rebloom if cut back hard after the first flush. Key trait: Blue-toned flowers, silver-palette integration. Best for: Silver-themed borders.

10. ‘Nana Alba’ — Miniature White

Size: 8–12″. Zones: 5–8. The smallest white lavender available — a true dwarf at under ten inches at maturity. Ideal for alpine troughs, shallow terracotta pans, and front-row edging in gravel gardens. White spikes on a tightly mounded silver cushion; the miniature scale emphasises structural quality over flower colour, making it a favourite for formal alpine displays. Key trait: Smallest white lavender. Best for: Troughs, gravel gardens, rock borders.

11. ‘Imperial Gem’ — Stays Compact Longest

Size: 12–18″. Zones: 5–8. ‘Imperial Gem’ is a slow-growing selection that maintains a neat mound longer without annual trimming, making it measurably lower-maintenance than ‘Hidcote’. Flower colour is deep purple, very similar to ‘Hidcote’ but with slightly more silver-toned foliage. RHS AGM awarded. Excellent in containers where its disciplined habit avoids outgrowing a 12-inch pot for three or four seasons. Key trait: Slowest to become woody, least pruning required. Best for: Long-term pots, low-maintenance borders.

12. ‘Twickel Purple’ — Fan-Branched Spikes

Size: 18–24″. Zones: 5–8. Instantly recognisable: the flower spikes of ‘Twickel Purple’ split into a fan of three to five branches per stem rather than forming a single straight spike. The result is a rounded, almost spherical flower head that is striking in the border and unusual in a vase. Mid-purple, exceptionally long-lasting (spikes hold colour for 12–14 weeks), and among the most fragrant angustifolia. Key trait: Fan-branched spikes, outstanding fragrance. Best for: Specimen planting, cutting.

French Lavender Varieties (Lavandula stoechas)

French lavender is the flamboyant one — the “butterfly ears” (sterile bracts) sitting above the flower cone are unmistakeable. Unlike English lavender, stoechas blooms in spring (April–June) and often repeats in autumn, but it is far less cold-hardy: most varieties require Zone 7 or milder. In Zones 7–10 it is a revelation; in Zone 6 treat it as a tender perennial or overwinter under glass. French lavender is the best choice for pots on a warm, sheltered patio. For planting combinations, see our guide to lavender companion plants.

13. ‘Anouk’ — The Gold Standard Stoechas

Size: 18–24″. Zones: 7–10. ‘Anouk’ consistently leads stoechas trials for vigour, flower size, and reblooming. The flower cones are rich violet-purple with large, deep-purple ears standing 1.5 inches above the cone. It produces more flowers per plant than most stoechas varieties and reblooms reliably in autumn if deadheaded after the first flush. Widely available as bedding plants in spring. Key trait: Best rebloom rate, largest flower cones. Best for: Patio pots, warm-climate borders.

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14. ‘Bandera Purple’ — Ultra-Compact Pot Performer

Size: 12–15″. Zones: 7–10. Bred specifically for container culture, ‘Bandera Purple’ produces a dense, tidy mound that stays in proportion in a 6–8-inch pot across multiple seasons. The compact habit does not compromise flowering: deep-purple cones with large bracts appear in an almost continuous succession from April through June. Hardy to Zone 7 with excellent drainage. Key trait: Most compact stoechas. Best for: Small pots, window boxes.

15. ‘Tiara’ — White Ears, Purple Cone

Size: 18–24″. Zones: 7–10. ‘Tiara’ offers the most arresting colour contrast in the stoechas group: pale lilac flower cones topped with pure white ear bracts. The white-and-purple bicolour appears almost unreal in the garden and photographs strikingly. Growth habit is slightly more open than ‘Anouk’, better suited to border planting than tight container culture. Key trait: White ears over purple cone. Best for: Specimen planting, colour-contrast borders.

16. ‘Otto Quast’ — Heat-Tolerant, Extra-Large Bracts

Size: 18–24″. Zones: 8–10. ‘Otto Quast’ is one of the most widely planted stoechas in California and the Southwest, where its tolerance of heat and dry conditions makes it a natural fit for xeriscape borders. The bracts are proportionally large even by stoechas standards — sometimes two inches tall — in deep magenta-purple. Very long blooming season: March–June with a strong repeat in September–October. Key trait: Heat and drought tolerance, extra-large bracts. Best for: Xeriscape borders, Zones 8–10.

17. ‘Regal Splendour’ — Two-Tone Drama

Size: 18–24″. Zones: 7–10. The flower cone of ‘Regal Splendour’ is a pale, silvery purple; the ear bracts are a contrasting deep magenta-violet — a two-tone effect unique in the stoechas group. Strong upright habit means it works well cut and dried; the bracts retain colour for months. Scent is the aromatic, slightly resinous character typical of stoechas. Key trait: Pale cone with dark contrasting ears. Best for: Cutting, specimen planting.

18. ‘Madrid Purple’ — Reliable Mass-Flowering Workhorse

Size: 14–18″. Zones: 7–10. ‘Madrid Purple’ is not the showiest stoechas, but it is the most reliable — producing an exceptional number of flower stems per plant and maintaining a compact, tidy habit. The best choice for continuous colour across a long season in borders or 10-inch containers. Slightly more compact than ‘Anouk’, with a more uniform rounded mound. Key trait: Most flowers per plant, longest season. Best for: Mass planting, containers.

19. ‘Papillon’ — Maximum Butterfly Ears

Size: 18–24″. Zones: 7–10. ‘Papillon’ (French for “butterfly”) takes the stoechas bract concept to its extreme: the ear petals are proportionally the largest of any stoechas cultivar, spreading wing-like for two to 2.5 inches above the cone. The effect from a distance is of a plant covered in purple-winged insects. Vigorous and free-flowering; a mature 24-inch clump becomes a focal point in any warm-climate garden. Key trait: Largest ears of any stoechas. Best for: Specimen planting, focal points.

20. ‘Purple Ribbon’ — Long Ribbon Bracts

Size: 18–24″. Zones: 7–10. ‘Purple Ribbon’ produces longer, more ribbon-like ear bracts than most stoechas, giving each flower an elongated, dragonfly-wing silhouette rather than a broad butterfly shape. Upright architectural habit works well at the front or mid-border where tidiness matters. The ribbon bracts retain colour when dried, making it an excellent addition to wreaths and dried arrangements. Key trait: Elongated ribbon-like bracts, architectural form. Best for: Borders, dried flowers.

Spanish Lavender Varieties (Lavandula dentata)

Spanish lavender — properly called toothed lavender for its distinctive serrated leaves — is the least familiar group in North American gardens but deserves more attention in warm-climate planting. The toothed, grey-green foliage releases a complex herb-lavender-rosemary fragrance when brushed, and the pale-purple flower spikes appear almost continuously in frost-free gardens. Most varieties are only hardy to Zone 8, but in Zone 9–11 they become large, long-lived evergreen shrubs that require almost no care. For plant combinations, see our lavender companion plants guide.

21. Lavandula dentata — The Species

Size: 18–30″. Zones: 8–11. The straight species is a bushy, mounding evergreen with distinctly toothed (dentate) grey-green leaves — noticeably different from the narrow, smooth leaves of angustifolia. Small, pale-violet flower spikes appear almost year-round in Zones 9–11, making it the longest-flowering lavender you can grow where frosts are rare. The foliage scent is complex — notes of lavender, rosemary, and bay — and particularly strong when the plant is trimmed. Key trait: Year-round flowering in Zones 9–11. Best for: Warm-climate evergreen hedges.

22. ‘Monet’ — Compact and Refined

Size: 14–18″. Zones: 8–11. ‘Monet’ is a compact selection of dentata with a neater growth habit and slightly larger flower spikes than the species. The pale mauve flowers sit above particularly attractive silver-grey toothed foliage. A better choice than the species for containers or small gardens where the natural spread of dentata would become excessive. Key trait: Compact, refined form. Best for: Pots in warm climates, small borders.

23. ‘Royal Crown’ — Bold Upright Form

Size: 24–36″. Zones: 8–11. ‘Royal Crown’ is one of the tallest dentata selections, producing bold upright flower spikes well above the foliage canopy. The flowers are a slightly deeper purple than the species with a longer individual bloom duration. Use at the back of a mixed herb border or as a specimen in a large patio container. Key trait: Tallest dentata, bold upright spikes. Best for: Back of border, large specimen pots.

24. Lavandula dentata var. candicans — Silver-Leaved

Size: 18–24″. Zones: 8–11. The candicans variety has noticeably more silver-white hairs on the leaves than typical dentata, producing an overall silver-grey shimmer that makes it valuable as a structural plant even when not in flower. Flower colour is very pale — almost white with the faintest lavender tint. Outstanding in drought-tolerant designs where the silver foliage provides contrast against darker perennials. Key trait: Most silver foliage of any lavender species. Best for: Silver borders, drought-tolerant planting.

Hybrid Lavender Varieties (Lavandula × intermedia — Lavandin)

Lavandin hybrids are crosses between English lavender (L. angustifolia) and spike lavender (L. latifolia). The result is larger in every dimension — taller plants, longer spikes, greater essential oil yield — but with a distinct camphor note absent from pure angustifolia. Cold hardiness matches English lavender (Zone 5 for most varieties), but bloom time is two to three weeks later (July–August). Lavandin is the primary commercial lavender of Provence and dominates lavender hedge planting because its size and vigour make it the most impressive choice for large-scale structure.

25. ‘Grosso’ — The Commercial Giant

Size: 24–30″. Zones: 5–9. ‘Grosso’ accounts for an estimated 80% of commercial lavender oil production worldwide. Fat, deep violet-blue spikes are 3–4 inches long; a single mature plant carries 50–100 spikes. The scent is powerfully aromatic with a clean camphor note. Not the most refined fragrance for sachets or culinary use, but unmatched for garden impact, dried bouquets, and sachets. Key trait: Maximum flower production, highest oil yield. Best for: Large hedges, cutting, drying.

26. ‘Provence’ — Culinary-Grade Fragrance

Size: 24–30″. Zones: 5–9. Where ‘Grosso’ maximises yield, ‘Provence’ prioritises fragrance quality. The linalool-to-camphor ratio is closer to angustifolia than most lavandin varieties, making it the preferred culinary lavandin — suitable for herbes de Provence blends, lemonade, and baked goods. Pale blue-grey flowers, strong upright habit, and exceptional dried flower longevity (spikes hold colour for 12–18 months when dried). Key trait: Best culinary-grade scent in lavandin. Best for: Herb gardens, cutting, drying.

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27. ‘Phenomenal’ — Cold-Hardy, Disease-Resistant

Size: 24–30″. Zones: 5–9. ‘Phenomenal’ was bred specifically for North American conditions — the damp winters and humid summers that kill European-bred lavandin. It significantly outperforms ‘Grosso’ and ‘Provence’ for disease resistance (phytophthora root rot, shab disease) and has survived Zone 5 winters in university trials. Pale blue-violet flowers, consistent form year to year without the progressive woodiness that plagues older lavandin varieties. Key trait: Most disease-resistant and cold-hardy lavandin. Best for: Cold or humid climates, productive hedges.

28. ‘Impress Purple’ — Rich Violet, RHS AGM

Size: 24–30″. Zones: 5–9. ‘Impress Purple’ combines lavandin height and vigour with the deep violet-purple colour normally associated with compact angustifolia. The long spikes are a saturated purple-blue — darker than ‘Grosso’ — with an intensely aromatic scent. RHS AGM holder. Works exceptionally well as a tall informal hedge where strong colour is the priority. Key trait: Deepest purple in lavandin group. Best for: Tall hedges, specimen planting.

29. ‘Fred Boutin’ — Silver Foliage, Pale Blue Flowers

Size: 24–30″. Zones: 5–9. The most strikingly silver-foliaged of all lavandin varieties, ‘Fred Boutin’ produces long, luminously white-silver stems and leaves with pale blue-lavender flower spikes. The contrast between silver foliage and pale bloom creates an ethereal quality that works particularly well in silver-and-white themed gardens and evening borders where pale tones glow in low light. Key trait: Most silver foliage in lavandin. Best for: Silver borders, white-themed planting.

30. ‘Edelweiss’ — White Lavandin

Size: 18–24″. Zones: 5–9. White-flowered lavandin is rare — most white lavenders are angustifolia. ‘Edelweiss’ fills that gap: a compact hybrid with genuinely white flower spikes, silver-grey foliage, and all the disease-resistance advantages of a lavandin. The white flowers glow at dusk and hold their colour longer than purple varieties when dried. An unusual and elegant choice for evening borders, white garden schemes, or dried flower arrangements. Key trait: Only white-flowered lavandin. Best for: White gardens, evening borders, drying.

Where to Buy Lavender Plants

Variety quality matters more with lavender than almost any other perennial — seed-grown plants are variable and often inferior to named cultivars propagated from cuttings. For the widest selection of named angustifolia and stoechas cultivars, Norfolk Lavender (Norfolk, UK) carries one of the most complete lavender ranges available, all propagated from stock plants growing on their 100-acre farm in Heacham, Norfolk — the largest lavender grower in England. They offer bare-root and potted plants with international shipping, and the full range is available in spring.

For US-based buyers, independent garden centers in spring offer the best chance of finding named cultivars. When shopping, check the label carefully: “English Lavender” without a cultivar name usually indicates a seedling of inconsistent quality. Always buy named varieties — ‘Munstead’, ‘Hidcote’, or ‘Phenomenal’ — for reliable zone hardiness and predictable habit. For hedging or large-scale planting, specialist mail-order nurseries are significantly more economical than garden-center pricing per plant.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the hardiest lavender variety?

‘Munstead’ is reliably hardy to Zone 4 (−30°F), making it the top choice for northern gardens. ‘Phenomenal’ lavandin survives Zone 5 with exceptional disease resistance that keeps it performing in climates that kill other lavenders. Both require well-drained soil — wet cold is far more damaging than dry cold for any lavender.

Which lavender is best for pots?

For compact pots: ‘Hidcote’, ‘Imperial Gem’, or ‘Little Lottie’ (English lavender); ‘Bandera Purple’ (French stoechas for Zone 7+ patios). Use a terracotta pot with drainage holes, gritty compost, and never let the roots sit in water. See our full guide to growing lavender in containers for compost and watering detail.

What lavender is best for a hedge?

Low formal hedge (18–24 inches): ‘Hidcote’ or ‘Munstead’ planted 12 inches apart. Tall productive hedge (30 inches+): ‘Grosso’, ‘Phenomenal’, or ‘Impress Purple’ lavandin at 18–24-inch spacing. Full planting detail in our lavender hedge guide.

Can French lavender survive frost?

Most Lavandula stoechas varieties are reliably hardy only to Zone 7 (0°F). In Zone 6, grow them in pots and bring indoors in November, or treat as annuals. In Zones 8–10 they are long-lived perennials. Providing very free-draining soil is critical — wet cold is far more damaging than dry cold for stoechas.

What is the difference between English and French lavender scent?

English lavender (L. angustifolia) has a clean, sweet, classically floral fragrance — the aromatherapy standard. French lavender (L. stoechas) has a more resinous, herby, slightly medicinal note. Lavandin (L. × intermedia) falls between the two but with a distinct camphor element that makes it unsuitable for cosmetics or sachets. For culinary use, choose English lavender or ‘Provence’ lavandin only.

Sources

1. NC State Extension — Lavandula angustifolia plant detail
2. NC State Extension — Lavandula stoechas plant detail
3. NC State Extension — Lavandula x intermedia (lavandin) plant detail
4. Royal Horticultural Society — Lavandula AGM plant list
5. Penn State Extension — Lavender production guide