Lavender Varieties We Grow
Lavender varieties can differ in fragrance, color, bloom timing, size, and winter hardiness. Here on the farm, each variety is selected for beauty, usefulness, and performance in southwest Missouri growing conditions.
Whether you are looking for culinary lavender, fragrant dried bundles, pollinator-friendly plants, or a hardy landscape variety, this guide can help you find the right fit.
Want to experience these varieties in bloom? Visit the farm during lavender season or browse seasonal lavender products in the farm store.
Riverina Thomas
Lavandula x intermedia ‘Riverina Thomas’
Riverina Thomas is a vigorous lavandin known for tall stems, strong fragrance, and reliable performance in southwest Missouri growing conditions. Its soft violet-purple blooms and silvery foliage make it one of the most striking and productive varieties grown on the farm.
This variety is especially valued for dried bundles, wreath work, and large seasonal harvests thanks to its sturdy stems, strong fragrance retention, and dependable growth habit.
Good For
Culinary (Small Amounts)
Essential Oil Production
Fragrance
Strong, classic lavender scent with noticeable camphor notes typical of lavandins.
Growing Notes
Thrives in full sun.
Bloom Color
Soft violet-purple flower spikes with silvery foliage.
Prefers well-drained soil
Mature Size
Approximately 24–36 inches tall and wide.
Heat and drought tolerant once established
Growth Habit
Fast-growing, upright, and vigorous with sturdy stems that hold blooms well for cutting and drying.
One of the hardiest and most dependable varieties grown on the farm
Farm Notes
Riverina Thomas has become one of the standout lavender varieties grown on the farm for its vigor, reliability, and impressive seasonal growth. This variety consistently produces large healthy plants with tall flower spikes and strong fragrance, making it one of the most productive lavandins grown here on the farm.
Its fast growth habit and dependable return each spring have made it one of the easiest and most rewarding varieties to grow in southwest Missouri conditions. During peak bloom, the long flower stems and soft violet-purple color create a bold presence in the field and make exceptional dried bundles, wreaths, and harvested stems.
Among all of the lavandins grown on the farm, Riverina Thomas continues to stand out for both beauty and performance year after year.
Provence Lavender
Lavandula x intermedia ‘Provence’
Provence is a classic French lavandin treasured for its long stems, soft fragrance, and elegant pale lavender-blue blooms. Known for its graceful appearance and sweet floral scent, this variety creates a relaxed, romantic feel in the garden and is especially beautiful when planted in drifts or harvested for bundles.
Its tall flower spikes and excellent stem length make it one of the most popular lavenders for dried bouquets and decorative use. Provence performs well in southwest Missouri when given full sun and well-drained soil, forming a large rounded plant with silvery-green foliage.
Good For
Culinary (Small Amounts)
Cut Flower Production
Fragrance
Soft, sweet lavender fragrance with lighter camphor notes than many lavandins.
Growing Notes
Thrives in full sun.
Bloom Color
Pale lavender-blue flower spikes with silvery-green foliage.
Prefers well-drained soil
Mature Size
Approximately 24–36 inches tall and wide.
Heat and drought tolerant once established, benefits from good air circulation
Growth Habit
Large, mounded, and vigorous with long flexible stems ideal for harvesting and crafting.
Produces especially long flower stems
Farm Notes
Provence has become one of my favorite varieties grown here on the farm for its dependable growth, strong yearly return, and consistently heavy blooms. While the flower spikes are more slender than Riverina Thomas, Provence produces such full blooming stems that the rows look lush, soft, and overflowing with color during peak season.
Its sweet fragrance, graceful appearance, and reliable performance make it one of the standout varieties in the field each year, especially for bundles, bouquets, and creating that classic lavender farm look.
Alba Lavender
Lavandula x intermedia ‘Alba’
Alba is a beautiful white-blooming lavandin that brings softness and contrast to the lavender field with its creamy white flower spikes and silvery foliage. Blooming later than many of the purple varieties on the farm, Alba helps extend the lavender season into early to mid-June, often flowering one to two weeks after Provence.
This variety shares the same vigorous, dependable growth habit as the other lavandins grown here on the farm and has proven to be hardy and reliable year after year in southwest Missouri growing conditions. Its bright blooms stand out beautifully in the garden and pair especially well with purple lavender varieties in bouquets and landscape plantings.
Good For
Mixed Bouquets
Wreaths & Arrangements
Fragrance
Classic lavandin fragrance with fresh herbal notes and moderate camphor.
Growing Notes
Thrives in full sun.
Bloom Color
Creamy white flower spikes with silvery-green foliage.
Prefers well-drained soil
Mature Size
Approximately 24–36 inches tall and wide.
Heat and drought tolerant once established
Growth Habit
Large, rounded, and vigorous with sturdy stems and dependable seasonal growth.
Later blooming variety, typically blooms early to mid-June in southwest Missouri
Farm Notes
Alba has become one of the most valuable varieties on the farm for extending the bloom season beyond the earlier lavandins. Its later bloom time helps keep fresh color in the field after many other varieties begin fading, and the soft white blooms create beautiful contrast among the purple rows.
Like the other lavandins grown here on the farm, Alba has been dependable, vigorous, and is consistent in returning year after year, making it an excellent addition both in the field and in mixed lavender bouquets.
Gros Blu Lavender
Lavandula x intermedia ‘Gros Blu’
Gros Blu is a striking lavandin known for its deep purple-blue buds and long, graceful flower stems that move beautifully in the field. Its softer, more slender flower spikes give it an almost whimsical appearance compared to some of the fuller lavandin varieties grown on the farm.
Blooming slightly later than Riverina Thomas and Provence but earlier than Alba, Gros Blu helps bridge the lavender season with rich color and elegant texture in the field. While slower growing than the other lavandins grown on the farm, this variety gradually develops into a beautiful mature plant with time and patience.
Good For
Decorative Arrangements
Wreaths & Floral Work
Fragrance
Classic lavandin fragrance with fresh herbal notes and moderate camphor.
Growing Notes
Thrives in full sun.
Bloom Color
Deep purple-blue flower buds with silvery-green foliage.
Prefers well-drained soil
Mature Size
Approximately 24–30 inches tall and wide once established.
Heat and drought tolerant once established
Growth Habit
Rounded and upright with long slender flower stems and slower early growth compared to other lavandins.
Mid-season bloomer, slower to mature, but develops well over time
Farm Notes
Gros Blu stands out in the field for its rich color and airy flower spikes that bring movement and softness to the rows during bloom season. While it has been the slowest growing lavandin on the farm, it has proven worth the patience as the plants mature and fill out over time.
Its deep purple-blue buds and graceful stems make it one of the most visually unique varieties grown on the farm, especially when planted alongside fuller blooming varieties like Provence and Riverina Thomas.
Royal Velvet Lavender
Lavandula angustifolia ‘Royal Velvet’
Royal Velvet is a richly colored English lavender prized for its deep purple blooms, sweet fragrance, and exceptional culinary quality. Often considered one of the best lavender varieties for cooking and baking, this variety is a favorite on the farm for culinary blends, desserts, teas, and herbal creations.
Compared to the lavandins, Royal Velvet has a sweeter, softer fragrance with lower camphor content, making it especially well suited for food use. Its compact growth habit and vivid blooms also make it beautiful in borders, garden beds, and pollinator plantings.
Good For
Culinary Use
Baking & Teas
Fragrance
Sweet classic English lavender fragrance with low camphor and soft floral notes.
Growing Notes
Thrives in full sun.
Bloom Color
Deep velvet-purple flower spikes with soft gray-green foliage.
Prefers well-drained soil
Mature Size
Approximately 18–24 inches tall and wide.
More cold sensitive than lavandins. One of the hardiest English lavenders grown on the farm.
Growth Habit
Compact, rounded, and upright with dense foliage and shorter flower stems.
Benefits from winter protection during extended periods of cold.
Farm Notes
Royal Velvet has become the culinary favorite on the farm thanks to its sweet fragrance and beautiful deep purple blooms. Out of the English lavender varieties grown here on the farm, it has also proven to be the hardiest.
Even when planted later than ideal in the new field and left uncovered, Royal Velvet returned better than expected after winter. While it has shown impressive resilience, extended temperatures below 20°F can still be hard on English lavenders in southwest Missouri, so winter protection is still recommended when possible.
Hidcote Blue Lavender
Lavandula angustifolia ‘Hidcote Blue’
Hidcote Blue is a compact English lavender known for its deep blue-purple blooms, dense growth habit, and classic cottage garden appearance. Its shorter flower stems and tidy shape make it especially well suited for borders, edging, containers, and smaller garden spaces.
While not quite as hardy in southwest Missouri conditions as Royal Velvet, Hidcote Blue has still proven to be a dependable returning variety on the farm with consistent spring regrowth year after year. Its compact size and rich bloom color make it a beautiful addition to both ornamental and culinary lavender plantings.
Good For
Culinary Use
Fragrance
Sweet English lavender fragrance with soft floral notes and low camphor.
Growing Notes
Thrives in full sun.
Bloom Color
Deep blue-purple flower spikes with compact gray-green foliage.
Prefers well-drained soil
Mature Size
Approximately 18–24 inches tall and wide.
Benefits from winter protection during extended periods of cold.
Growth Habit
Compact, rounded, and dense with shorter flower spikes and a tidy growth form.
More compact lavender, consistent spring returner on the farm
Farm Notes
Hidcote Blue has become a reliable returning English lavender on the farm with dependable spring growth and beautiful compact blooms. While it has not shown the same level of hardiness as Royal Velvet in southwest Missouri conditions, it continues to return consistently each year and holds its shape beautifully in the field.
Its shorter flower spikes and dense growth habit give it a more classic English lavender appearance compared to the taller, airier lavandins grown on the farm.
Sensational!® Lavender
Lavandula x intermedia ‘Sensational!®’
Sensational!® lavender is a robust lavandin known for its broad silvery foliage, thick flower spikes, and strong garden presence. Compared to many of the other lavandins grown on the farm, this variety has shorter, fuller flower spikes and develops into a substantial landscape plant with a bold appearance.
One of the latest blooming lavandins grown on the farm, Sensational!® often continues blooming into late June, helping extend the lavender season well beyond many earlier varieties.
Good For
Late-season Color
Decorative Planting
Landscaping
Containers & Borders
Garden Focal Points
Pollinator Garden
Fragrance
Classic lavandin fragrance with fresh herbal notes and moderate camphor.
Growing Notes
Thrives in full sun.
Bloom Color
Soft violet-purple flower spikes with broad silver-green foliage.
Prefers well-drained soil
Mature Size
Approximately 24–36 inches tall and wide.
Heat and drought tolerant once established, benefits from good air circulation
Growth Habit
Large, rounded, and robust with thick foliage and shorter, fuller flower spikes.
Later blooming than many lavandins, often blooms into late June in southwest Missouri
Farm Notes
Sensational!® stands out in the field for its strong structure, broad foliage, and extended bloom season. While many earlier lavandins begin fading, this variety continues bringing fresh color and fragrance into late June.
Its shorter flower spikes create a fuller, more substantial look in the field compared to the taller, airier bloom habit of varieties like Provence or Gros Blu.
Phenomenal!® Lavender
Lavandula x intermedia ‘Phenomenal!®’
Phenomenal!® lavender is a hardy lavandin known for its silvery foliage, strong fragrance, and reputation for handling a wide range of growing conditions. Its tall flower spikes and rounded growth habit make it a popular landscape lavender for both ornamental planting and large garden displays.
This variety is often noted for its resilience and adaptability, especially in areas with challenging weather conditions.
Good For
Decorative Planting
Landscaping
Borders & Mass Planting
Fragrant Gardens
Pollinator Garden
Fragrance
Classic lavandin fragrance with fresh herbal notes and moderate camphor.
Growing Notes
Thrives in full sun.
Bloom Color
Soft purple flower spikes with bright silver-green foliage.
Prefers well-drained soil
Mature Size
Approximately 24–36 inches tall and wide.
Heat and drought tolerant once established, benefits from good air circulation and winter drainage.
Growth Habit
Rounded and vigorous with upright flower stems and dense silvery foliage.
Known for strong hardiness and resilience
Farm Notes
Phenomenal!® has earned its name on the farm through pure persistence. Despite severe neglect and even surviving being run over by a brush hog, this plant continued growing and recovered remarkably well once it was dug up and moved into a container.
While still newer to the farm compared to some of the other varieties, its toughness and recovery have made a strong impression already.
Experience Lavender at Dogwood Hills
Visit the farm during bloom season, shop handcrafted lavender products, or follow the growing season through the lavender guide and farm updates.