Lavender ‘French Revolution’

Lavender 'French Revolution' (Lavandula dentata 'French Revolution') is a French lavender chosen for one thing above all: an unusually long flowering season. It mounds to about 90cm tall and 1m wide, holds soft grey green foliage with finely toothed edges, and sends up purple flower heads over a very long season rather than one short flush. For fragrance, bees and a low hedge that looks after itself, it is one of the most reliable choices at this size.

Why you'll love it

• Flowers over a very long season. Where English lavenders flower and finish, French Revolution keeps going, which is the whole point of the variety.
• Fragrant grey foliage. The toothed leaves are aromatic in their own right, so the plant earns its place even between flushes.
• A magnet for bees and butterflies. Few small shrubs feed pollinators over as long a window each year.
• Tough in heat, salt and poor soil. It is drought tolerant, heat tolerant, comfortable in coastal air and unfussed by poor ground.
• Quick to establish. It is fast growing for a lavender, reaching hedge size within a couple of seasons.

Where it works best

Low hedges and borders. Plant 60cm apart for a low hedge along a path, fence or vegetable bed. It clips into a soft informal line rather than a hard formal one.

Mass planting and coastal gardens. On banks and open beds, repeat at the same 60cm spacing for a grey green carpet with near continuous colour. Salt air is not a problem.

Pots. It suits containers well: full sun, a free draining mix, and the flowers sit at nose height where the fragrance actually registers.

Growing French Revolution lavender in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, always. It is best suited to warm temperate, cool temperate, Mediterranean and dry inland climates. It tolerates humid summers better than English lavender does, but in the humid subtropics treat it as a plant to trial in your best drained, airiest spot rather than a certainty.

Soil. Drainage decides everything. Sandy, gravelly and even poor soils are fine; wet heavy clay is fatal. On clay, mound the bed or keep it in pots.

Water and feed. Water to establish through the first season, then keep it on the dry side. Overwatering kills far more lavender than drought does. It needs little feeding; a light dressing of complete fertiliser in spring is enough.

Pruning. Trim spent heads through the season to keep flowers coming, then cut the whole plant back by about a third after the main flush. Never cut into bare leafless wood, because lavender does not reshoot from it.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell French Revolution as tube stock and in 140mm pots sold as a pack of ten, sizes that suit hedging and mass planting budgets. Tubes look small on arrival but establish quickly, and a 140mm plant is usually flowering or close to it. Both travel well. Orders are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95, and every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• The most fragrant plants for Australian gardens
• Browse all fragrant plants
• More plants for bees and butterflies
• Pair it with Blue Sage 'Marine Blue'

Common questions

How far apart should I plant a lavender hedge?

60cm apart in a single row. The mounds meet into a continuous low hedge while still letting air move through, which matters for lavender health.

How hard can I prune it?

Take up to a third off after the main flush, and tidy spent stems any time. Do not cut into bare wood; it will not regrow from it.

Will it survive humid summers?

It handles humidity better than English lavender, which makes it the French lavender to try in marginal areas. Its safest homes are still warm temperate, cool temperate, Mediterranean and dry inland climates.

Does it grow well in pots?

Very well. Use a free draining mix, a pot with generous drainage holes and full sun, and water only when the mix has dried out.