Lavender ‘Asa Blue’

Lavender 'Asa Blue' (Lavandula angustifolia) is a compact English lavender that holds deep blue purple flower spikes over silver grey foliage. It grows to about 0.6m tall and wide, small enough for pots, path edges and low hedges, and it carries the true lavender fragrance the species is famous for. The flowers feed bees for weeks and, being English lavender, they can also be used in the kitchen.

Why you'll love it

• The real lavender scent. English lavender carries the sweet, fine fragrance used in perfume and cooking, a clear step above the camphor edge of many hybrid lavenders.
• Compact and tidy. At about 0.6m each way it stays in proportion along paths and borders without constant cutting.
• Edible as well as beautiful. The flowers can flavour shortbread, sugars and teas, used sparingly.
• Alive with bees. Every spike works hard for pollinators through the flowering season.
• Hardy where it counts. Frost hardy, drought tolerant once established, and comfortable in poor soil and coastal wind.

Where it works best

Borders and edging. Plant 40cm apart for a continuous low hedge along a path, rose bed or vegetable garden. The grey foliage keeps the line neat even out of flower.

Mass planting and rockeries. Repeated in drifts on a sunny bank or through a rockery it delivers colour, scent and structure with very little water.

Pots. It thrives in terracotta and other free draining containers, which is also the answer for gardeners in humid climates.

Growing Lavender 'Asa Blue' in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, all day if possible. It performs best in cool temperate, warm temperate and Mediterranean climates. English lavender resents humid summers, so in the subtropics and tropics it tends to be short lived in the ground; grow it in a pot with perfect drainage there, or choose a French lavender instead.

Soil. Lean and free draining, ideally slightly alkaline. Sandy and gravelly soils are perfect; on clay, build a raised mound or use pots.

Water and feed. Water young plants regularly until established, then keep it on the dry side. Overwatering and rich feeding are the two common ways lavenders die. A light dressing of slow release fertiliser in spring is ample.

Pruning. Shear off spent flower stems and about a third of the foliage after the main flush, keeping some green growth on every stem. Never cut into bare wood, which does not reshoot.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell Asa Blue as tube stock, in 140mm pots as a pack of 10, and in 200mm pots as a pack of 6, with the packs sized for edging and mass planting runs. Tubes establish quickly and are the economical way to plant a long border; 140mm and 200mm plants are bushy and often in bud.

Plants travel well and establish fast in a sunny spot, building to their first full flush by the next flowering season. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• A guide to the most fragrant garden plants
• The perfect edging plants for your landscape
• Browse our flowering plants
• French lavender 'French Revolution' for humid climates

Common questions

Will it grow in Brisbane or humid coastal gardens?

English lavender struggles with humid summers, so treat it as a pot plant with sharp drainage there and expect a shorter life. For garden beds in humid climates, French lavender is the more reliable choice.

How far apart should I plant it for a hedge?

Space plants 40cm apart in a single row. The row closes into a continuous low hedge within its first couple of seasons.

How hard should I prune it?

After the main flush, cut back by about a third, shaping to a mound and always leaving green foliage on each stem. That one habit keeps a lavender dense for many years.

Can I actually cook with the flowers?

Yes. English lavender is the culinary lavender species, so the flowers can be used in baking, sugars and teas. Use them sparingly, and only from plants that have not been sprayed.