For me if it is young, I have to nurse it awhile. I live in a rural area and the weather here is rough. They can not handle the full sun of summer here when they are young. BY here, I mean my place. After they are bigger, they do fine, and thrive on neglect. Full sun, very little water, no fertilizer.
Lisa

I have a 'lacy lavender' on east side of the garden on drip system that is doing well.

I had been told by AZDesertRat that the French lavenders do well and reseed like crazy, that the Spanish die in June. Of course, my french lavender croaked in June and my Spanish is doing great, with dappled shade from about 1 o'clock on, and water about every 7 days.

>shrugI guess my answer is, heck if I know!

I still have two Spanish lavenders alive in containers, but they're the rattiest looking things imaginable. All the others died. I bought two French (I think) at Walmart and one died in the pot before I could get it planted. Phhhhhhbbbbt on lavenders! I'll try something not so fussy.

My spanish lavender croaked and it was in a pot and got the required summer afternoon shade. Some plants just can't take the arizona heat.

I think lavender should be considered an extended winter annual for now....

I have heard Lavender does great here, as long as it is planted in the ground. Tried it in pots, and failed. Perhaps certain varities work better here?

I agree with Larry. Extended winter annual... defnitely.

I've tried both and killed both too many times to remember. I just killed another one this summer. I give up. I don't think lavender likes me even though I love it. I always thought that since I do so well with rosemary, I could grow lavender. Not so and I'm waving my white flag these days.

Can I come over to someone else's house and smell your lavender? That's about as close as I'll ever get to a real live growing plant I'm afraid.

Any of you that have seen my posts know that I am totally ignorant when it comes to Az Gardening. However, I have a lavender in full sun, planted in ground, on drip - that is going to take over my garden. Unfortunately I don't have a clue as to what kind it is.

Brittany, as PC had mentioned, the Spanish (not French, --they croaked in the first summer) lavender I had reseeded like crazy. In 3 years I started out with 2 plants, and by the time I left I had well over 50 (most of them seedlings). I had one plant survive for three years, but the others would all croak around October (I really don't know why).

They were planted in an area which used to be an old playground on the west side of my house. I also had plumeria, aloe and a few other plants in the area. I watered them maybe once a week in the summer and that was it. I started noticing the plethora of seedlings especially last fall and let them develop and gave tons away before I moved out. I had sort of mulched over them in prior years.

I think the key is good drainage, despite the sun. I never fertilized them, although I did mulch the area every year (keep in mind is was almost pure sand they were planted in). I think planting them in a lean well draining soil in the ground is the key. They don't like rich soils or having "wet feet" and they like the sun. So, if you have them in the ground, make sure that it drains well. I think on sloped areas where some people plant lantanas are good sites for lavender.

As for why mine kept expiring in October after the heat was gone, I haven't a clue. Maybe they were so wound up trying to survive our summers that the nice weather threw them for a loop. French lavender is on my "Do Not Buy" list after my experience with it. I will substitute the Mexican bush sage (Salvia leucantha) in its place to get the desired effects. I had the French lavender underplanted among my roses and they were all gone by July, after I had planted them in April. Lesson learned.

HTH

Thanks everyone... The lavender (I don't know what kind... It is long and spindly in a way and has tiny flowers growing down a few inches of the stock) is still surviving... I think that if I can get it through this summer it may make it... for all I know it is french lavender and it never even had a chance... The other lavender that is surviving all right is in a bit more shade, unlike the other one that probably gets more sun, is smaller and the flower part looks like the rattle off of a rattle snake (if none of this makes sense I'm sorry :) )... I didn't realize so many people were going to respond, I went to Mexico for a couple days and had to go in search of this post on the next page... :) but thanks again... no fertilizer, really? ok... and no wet feet... got it...
Brittany

I planted 5 spanish lavenders and 3 french lavenders under mesquite trees 8 years ago. They recieved weekly supplemental water for the first 3 years or so and have been left to fend on their own since. They finally are starting to die, mostly due to age, I think. I did no soil preparation, but my native soil is a good loam. I have always had problems with potted plants for long term display.

Lavenders are short lived perennials. Eight years is a good life.

They do hate wet feet and don't need fertilizer.

Lean dry soil is good, rich potting soil like you'd use for containers isn't good.

Guess I got lucky this year. I bought a lavender plant at Lowe's or Home Depot in the spring and planted it in a large pot with a dripper going to it. It has done great while every other plant I bought that day has died by now. I think it said on the tag that it was a heat and drought resistant variety, but I don't know what it was. I have done very little to it besides the irrigation every couple of days. It is in full (blazing hot) sun.

I have a 8yr old French lavender that is on the north side of my house in untreated plain desert soil - still growing vigously and is huge. I rarely water it if at all. I also have a 4yr old one on the west side of a wall that also gets PM shade.

Al

does Lavender grow in BullHead AZ