Lavender Ladiva Papillon White

Lavender Ladiva Papillon White (Lavandula stoechas 'Ladiva Papillon White') is a Spanish lavender with pure white flower heads, each topped by upright bracts that stand like a pair of wings. It forms a neat dome about 60cm tall and 60cm wide, dense enough to use as a low edge and small enough for a pot. White lavender also reads much cooler in a hot garden than the usual purple.

Why you'll love it

• White flowers with a shape. The winged bracts sit above each flower head, so the display has structure rather than a haze of colour at a distance.
• Fragrance you can walk past. The leaves release scent when brushed, which is the argument for planting it along a path rather than at the back of a bed.
• A magnet for bees and butterflies. Long flowering and heavily worked, so it pulls pollinators into a vegetable garden or an orchard.
• Hot, dry and salty suits it. Drought, heat and salt tolerant and frost hardy, which covers a coastal front garden and a cold inland one.

Where it works best

Borders and edging. Plant 0.5m apart for a low, continuous run along a path or driveway. At that spacing the domes touch without crowding, which keeps air moving through the plants.

Mass planting. The same 0.5m spacing works across a bank or a waterwise bed, where a block of one colour reads better than a mix.

Pots and rockeries. A 300mm pot with free draining mix suits one plant, and a rockery gives it the sharp drainage and reflected heat it enjoys.

Growing Lavender Ladiva Papillon White in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, six hours minimum. It is a plant for warm temperate, cool temperate, Mediterranean and arid gardens, and is frost hardy once established. In humid subtropical and tropical gardens lavender is short lived.

Soil. Sharp drainage is not negotiable. It prefers neutral to slightly alkaline soil and dislikes rich, damp ground. On clay, plant on a raised mound and use a gravel mulch, kept away from the stems.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first season, then only in prolonged dry weather. Feeding is mostly unnecessary: too much nitrogen gives soft green growth, few flowers and a plant that opens up in the middle.

Pruning. Trim by about a third after each flush of flowers, and shape it more firmly in early autumn. Never cut back into bare woody stems, because lavender does not reliably reshoot from old wood.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown as tube stock and in 140mm pots sold in packs of ten. Tubes are the affordable way to fill a long border at proper spacing. The 140mm plants are a season ahead, already branched, and will flower sooner in their first summer.

Lavender travels well, though expect a little creasing after transit. Plant into a well drained position quickly, water in, then let the soil dry between waterings from the second month. Delivered Australia wide, delivery from $29.95, with a minimum order of $300 before delivery, and every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Fragrant plants for paths and entries
• A guide to the most fragrant plants
• Plants that feed bees and butterflies
• Drought tolerant plants

Common questions

How long will it live?

Four to six years in a well drained sunny position, and longer if you trim it lightly twice a year. Lavenders left unpruned go woody and sparse, and no amount of later cutting brings them back.

Will it grow in a humid subtropical garden?

It can be grown there, but not for long. Humid summers bring root and stem rot, so use a pot with very open mix and accept replacing it every couple of years.

Is it safe for cats and dogs?

Lavender is mildly toxic to cats and dogs, so it is not on our pet friendly list. Eating a quantity of foliage can cause vomiting, though the plant is unappealing to most pets and problems are uncommon.