Silver Lining Love Italian Lavender

Silver Lining Love Italian Lavender (Lavandula stoechas 'Silver Lining Love') forms a rounded mound of silvery, fragrant foliage 60cm tall and 60cm wide. Purple flowers topped with long pink tufts appear in spring and summer, and again through the year in warmer climates. It is an easy way to add a soft, cottage-garden look to a sunny bed or a pot.

Why you'll love it

• Purple and pink together. Each flower head is purple with long pink tufts, a softer two-colour effect than the deep purples of other Italian lavenders.
• A rounded, tidy habit. Grey-green foliage settles into a neat dome that looks cared for even between flowerings.
• Fragrant in the garden and the vase. Foliage and flowers are scented, and cut stems dry well for arrangements and potpourri.
• A long season. Flowering runs through spring and summer, and repeats through the year in warmer climates.
• Heat, humidity, drought and cold. A broad range for a lavender, which makes it easier to place in a mixed garden.

Where it works best

Cottage gardens. Plant 60cm apart in a drift alongside roses, catmint and daisies, in full sun with sharp drainage.

Pots and rockeries. A pot 35cm wide suits one plant. In a rockery, mulch with gravel rather than bark so the crown stays dry.

Low hedging. Set plants 50cm apart for a fragrant hedge of about 60cm, clipped lightly twice a year.

Growing Silver Lining Love Italian Lavender in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the best flowering. It tolerates lower light levels, though flowers will be fewer. Heat, humidity, drought and cold are all within its range, but wet feet will finish it in any climate. In humid gardens, raise the bed and mulch with gravel.

Soil. Free draining soil, such as a light sandy or gravelly loam. On clay, build a mound or grow it in a pot.

Water and feed. Water regularly and keep the mulch on for the first 12 weeks, until the plant establishes. After that it needs water only in long dry spells. Feed once a year, after flowering, with a slow release fertiliser.

Pruning. Prune twice a year, taking no more than a third of the foliage and staying out of old wood. Bare woody stems will not reshoot.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell Silver Lining Love Italian Lavender as tube stock: a young plant in an 80mm deep tube that establishes quickly. Tubes arrive small and upright, and are best planted soon after arrival into a sunny, well-drained position.

The tube is supplied by our grower, so stock comes and goes. If it shows as sold out when you visit, press the notify button on the page and we will email you the day it is back.

Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse all lavender
• How to create a cottage garden in Australia
• Lavender care guide
• More fragrant plants

Common questions

When should I prune it?

Give it a light trim after the main spring and summer flowering, and another later in the year. Take no more than a third of the growth each time, and keep the cuts above green leaves.

Can I dry the flowers?

Yes. Cut stems when most of the flowers have opened and hang them in small bunches somewhere cool and airy. The long tufts keep their shape.

Does Italian lavender become a weed?

In some areas. Lavandula stoechas has naturalised in parts of Victoria and South Australia, so check your local council's list before planting near bushland or rural land.