Yellow Lavender - A Captivating Contradiction

Have you seen the new yellow rabbit ears lavender that smells like summer and shimmers in the sunshine?  Lemon Leigh Spanish Lavender (Lavandula stoechas 'Lemon Leigh') has the most intensely fragrant foliage I've ever encountered in a lavender. The flowers vary from soft butter yellow to nearly chartreuse set against silvery gray foliage....and it's supposed to flower prolifically all summer long.

For all of us that lost our rabbit ears lavender the last couple of cold, wet winters, this cultivar is supposed to be hardy to zone 7....so theoretically if you plant it in well-drained soil, 'Lemon Leigh' will make it through the winter. It'll grow into a dense mound two feet tall and as wide, topped with pale little blossoms ideal for cutting for arrangements and garnishing plates. Inhaling the spicy, Mediterranean fragrance will clear your sinuses and cheer your mood....I potted my 'Lemon Leigh' up in a dark green pot and put it by the front door to enjoy; in autumn I'll plant it in a bright, sheltered spot in the garden and see if it really will survive a Northwest winter....if not, this beauty is worth growing as an annual for its fragrance and unusual colorations.

 

 

Comments

[KD]

Love it! Anyone seen this in any of the local Seattle nurseries?

[Kimberly]

I love these! Have you seen any online garden shops selling them?

[kim]

At this link, you can input your zipcode and it will list nurserys nearby which have received shipments of the cultivar. I found one in my town, and picked up a Lemon Leigh for myself and my best gardening friend! Good Luck!
http://www.monrovia.com/plant-catalog/plants/956/lemon-leigh-spanish-lavender.php

[Karyn]

I have one that has been planted in my garden for about 3 years. Unfortunately, I knew nothing about pruning lavendar and so I have just let it go all this time. It's getting woody and flopped over a bit and I'm trying to figure out if it's too late to apply some pruning magic to bring it back to a good shape. Any advice would be appreciated!

[Sprout]

I got mine in an adorable (if not a bit expensive) little garden shop as a tiny 2" start. My, how it has grown! I planted it on a slope with good drainage and full sun just as with all lavender in this area. This is it's second full season and even though it didn't get much attention last year, it is huge.
I have had very good luck pruning back lavenders that have gotten woody/floppy/overgrown and I don't think this type needs any unusual or special treatment. I use the rule of pruning 1/3 of the plant just after flowering or by fall. When they are extremely woody/floppy/overgrown I prune them back 2X the first year: once just after it is finished flowering and again in the fall (well before danger of frost). I also take that time to carefully remove any damaged or unwanted branches. This helps shape the plant and directs it's growth to the areas I want filled out. It will look a little (or a lot) bare but will fill out nicely and bloom again in the spring. I have "saved" many overgrown rosemary, sage and lavender bushes this way.
Now, if only my neighbor hadn't sprayed next to mine with weed killer... we shall see just how hardy they really are. One persons treasure is another person's weed I guess ;)