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Home » Grow » Growing Flowers » 10 Reasons to Grow Lavender

10 Reasons to Grow Lavender

May contain affiliate links or sponsored content. Please see my privacy policy and affiliate disclosure.

Originally published on July 26, 2016. Last updated on April 25, 2025

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Lavender growing in a garden, and lavender infused oil in a tin.

Lavender is one of the more common garden and backyard flowers, and for good reason. It has so many uses and benefits! I have to admit that lavender is one of my very favorite flowers. It doesn’t take a whole lot of care, looks gorgeous, and is something that I use quite frequently for numerous applications. I have a few lavender plants started in our new yard, with plans of getting many more! I would love to have a lavender forest, really, for just the scent alone. Here are 10 reasons to grow lavender!

Fresh lavender growing in a garden.

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10 Reasons to Grow Lavender

Lavender is Easy to Grow

As I already mentioned, lavender is super easy to grow in most climates. It doesn’t require a lot of water, likes full sun and well drained soil. It will form fairly large bushes that can easily be made into a hedge. It is also a great companion plant. Harvest lavender as it blooms throughout the summer, and prune back by about a third each fall. There are multiple lavender varieties to choose from, such as English, French, Grosso, and Provence.

lavender

Here are some great posts on growing lavender:

  • How to Grow, Harvest, and Dry Lavender from Timber Creek Farm
  • How to Grow Lavender in Zone 3 (for those of you in colder climates) from Joybilee Farm

Get recipes using wild violet, lilac, forsythia, chive, calendula, lavender, white clover, nasturtium, elderflower, yarrow, rose, and Queen Anne’s lace flowers in my ebook Edible Flower Recipes: Infusions, Syrups, Jellies, Beverages, & Snacks!

Lavender is Beautiful

Besides being easy to grow, lavender is also beautiful! It is a lovely plant to have around, in your backyard or your front yard. I love how it looks, it’s great as a border or walkway plant, and will cheer up any outdoor space that it’s planted in. Just walking by my lavender plants makes me happy!

lavender flower

Lavender is Good for Bees (and other pollinators)

If you’ve ever been around when lavender is blooming, you know how well it attracts bees! The place we lived in last summer had a lavender hedge, and it would be literally swarming with both honeybees and bumblebees. In a time when bees are in decline, this is a good thing! Besides bees, it also attracts butterflies, hoverflies, and other beneficial insects.

lavender bee

Lavender Repels Bad Bugs

Just like mint, lavender also repels the bugs that you don’t want around. What a great two for one deal! It keeps mosquitoes, flies, and moths at bay, and is a common ingredient in natural and homemade bug sprays. It even repels fleas and ticks, making it great to have around your furry friends.

Lavender Makes Tasty Food

This is one of my favorite reasons for growing lavender… It makes super tasty treats! I especially love the combination of lemon and lavender in Lemon Lavender Shortbread Cookies or this amazing looking lemon lavender loaf cake. I made a lavender whipped cream for my plum and lemon upside down cake that was to die for. You can also make lavender infused honey or lavender infused sugar. It can even be made into jams and jellies!

blueberry lavender jam

Here are some other lavender treats for inspiration:

  • Lavender Bundt Cake from Homespun Seasonal Living
  • Lavender Shortbread from Mountain Mama Cooks
  • Blueberry Lavender Jam from Nitty Gritty Life

Lavender Makes Tasty Drinks

Lavender is also well known for making amazing drinks, boozy or not. I love a good lavender lemonade (there’s that lemon lavender combo again), and lavender tea is also very nice. I include lavender in both my herbal water kefir soda recipe and my wildflower mead recipe. It’s often made into a simple syrup and used in cocktail recipes as well.

lavender rose cocktail

Here are some more great lavender drink recipes:

  • Lusting After Lavender and Rose (Gin Cocktail recipe) from Rooted Revival
  • Lavender Leaf Lemonade from Gather Victoria
  • Lavender Lemonade Mojitos from We Are Not Martha

Lavender is Medicinal

Lavender is an amazing medicinal plant. It’s lovely scent is calming and relaxing for the mind. It is also anti-septic and anti-inflammatory, making it a great addition to an herbal salve. It is known for helping to heal burn and bug bites. Lavender infused oil is something that I always have on hand.

herbal healing salve
Lavender is Good for Bath and Body Products

Lavender is also great for use in bath and body products, like this homemade lavender soap from The Nerdy Farm Wife. It is commonly used in skin care items like body scrubs, bath salts, lotions, creams, and Vanilla Lavender Lip Balm. Because of its soothing nature and wonderful scent, it’s a good candidate for any natural and homemade beauty and bath products.

lavender oil

Lavender is Good for Craft Projects

Feel like getting crafty? Lavender is the perfect flower for you! You can use it fresh or dry it for many different craft projects. Use freshly cut lavender to make a lavender wand, wreath, or crown. Dried lavender can be made into a soothing sleeping pillow, used as potpourri, or added when candle making. There are many possibilities!

dried lavender

Lavender Can be Used in Cleaning and Home Products

Lavender, particularly lavender essential oil, is a common ingredient in home cleaning products. Add it to your homemade laundry soap or cleaning products. Because of its antibacterial properties it is an obvious choice here!

I hope that this inspires you to grow some lavender! If you don’t have any lavender growing, but still want to enjoy its benefits, you can purchase dried lavender from Mountain Rose Herbs (my favorite place to buy high quality, organic herbs).

Here a just a couple more posts on ways to use lavender:

  • Drying and Using Lavender from Homespun Seasonal Living
  • Let’s Talk About Lavender from Pixie’s Pocket

What is your favorite way to use lavender?

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jerri B. says

    May 9, 2022 at 8:26 pm

    I recently purchased a lavender plant. (not sure what variety) but I wanted to ask you how I could or even if I should harvest any of it yet (as it doesn’t have blooms yet) without damaging the plant?

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      May 11, 2022 at 10:22 am

      Hi Jerri. Early spring, after the buds form, but have not opened yet, is the best time to harvest lavender.

      Reply
  2. Steph says

    January 30, 2021 at 12:20 am

    I’ve noticed my high blood pressure fall with wearing lavender mist in my hair or as perfume… is there any research on this… is too much equal to too low? Slowing metabolism etc…

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      February 1, 2021 at 12:50 pm

      Lavender is known for having a calming and relaxing effect, so that could be it, but I don’t know of any research that has been done on this specifically.

      Reply
  3. Steph says

    January 30, 2021 at 12:16 am

    What lavender is best for what?

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      February 1, 2021 at 12:51 pm

      Most lavender varieties have similar uses and are interchangeable, although some are better for food use than others. It’s best to research the variety that you have to find out more.

      Reply
  4. Jeanine says

    November 19, 2020 at 8:18 pm

    Hi Colleen, I want you to know how informative your articles are, very easy to follow. I’ve read recently that lavender is toxic for dogs and cats. They say it can affect there respiratory system. How do you use it for fleas and ticks on dogs?

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      November 23, 2020 at 9:49 am

      Toxicity only occurs when dogs eat large quantities of it. You can infuse water with fresh lavender and spray it on your pet’s fur to repel fleas.

      Reply
  5. phoebe says

    September 26, 2020 at 2:55 pm

    I grew lavender for the first time from seeds and it grew rather larger, so I split it up and I moved it around our deck and I love it,,,,

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      September 28, 2020 at 12:28 pm

      That’s a great idea. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
  6. Casey Willson says

    May 15, 2020 at 3:23 pm

    Some old west mountain man books I’ve been reading have them learning from natives about esti g lavender roots.
    I can’t find anything about this. Info, please?
    I’m trying to get lavender started in my garden.

    Reply
  7. Jacquelyn Roberts says

    April 28, 2019 at 12:14 am

    Thank you Colleen for this Awesome article! I grow lavender, and I’ve made flower essence, lavender/rose wine, and a facial lotion and balm using the flower essence as a base ingredient. I keep learning new things about lavender, almost like the unfolding of the flower itself. … and your ideas about syrups and jellies are simply Marvelous! Remember Duchess Katherine calmed her tummy during pregnancy with lavender cookies? I believe the woman who sold purple in the bible must have been working with lavender, because oil of spike is made from lavender, the leaves – I suppose. I simply Love lavender! I’d love to create a line of products from my concoctions… :) Thanks again for this Awesome Inspiring article! I’m looking forward to your newsletters.

    Reply
  8. Candace says

    April 22, 2018 at 6:40 pm

    Can I use Spanish/French Lavender for this and other recipes?

    Reply
  9. Peg Schaafsma says

    February 23, 2018 at 9:03 am

    Thank you for the fine article. There is a shortage of gardening information for zones 3 and down. I too live in a BC zone 3.

    Reply
  10. Lorrie Schoettler says

    July 19, 2017 at 1:10 pm

    I am planning a significant lavender installation for next spring. I love the 10 reasons you’ve listed! The easy care is a big motivation for me, and then there’s the fact that deer do not eat lavender. But, it’s the culinary qualities and bee attraction that really has me motivated. Wondering what varieties you are working with?

    Reply
    • cindy faulk says

      May 9, 2018 at 12:20 pm

      I am very interested in growing lavender, thus far I have not located any seeds, do I have to purchase plants, this is very expensive for me as I want to cover 3 acres with lavender. thanks for your help. cindy

      Reply
      • Jacquelyn Roberts says

        April 27, 2019 at 11:52 pm

        Cindy, fortunately, lavender propagates easily in the winter from cuttings. …and you get tons of seeds from a single plant after flower. You can harvest some of the plant while the flowers are vibrant purple and then save some stalks to give you seeds. Those older flowers will still be plenty fragrant too! Have Fun!

  11. Julez says

    July 13, 2017 at 5:12 am

    I love my Lavender plants, (I’m in Norfolk, UK) I have 2 huge (20+ yrs old) with another 2 younger plants in my back yard/garden & another younger 4 in my front garden. Most Lavender plants not only like well drained soil but they’re drought loving too!! Which comes in handy if you get several weeks without any rain & don’t want to/can’t use water that comes into your home. I’m always getting asked for dried Lavender from friends & family. Not tried cooking/drinking with it or other stuff yet though!

    Reply
  12. Nag says

    July 5, 2017 at 9:38 pm

    How long does a new plant to produce flowers?, thanks

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      July 12, 2017 at 12:03 pm

      I’ve had very small young plants produce flowers, you may only get a few flowers per plant in the first couple of years.

      Reply
    • Marta says

      September 11, 2017 at 12:38 am

      I have planted them in October and in the next June they were full with flowers.

      Reply
  13. Tracy Biehle says

    May 25, 2017 at 3:33 pm

    Is Lavender soap difficult to make? Is there a recipe for Lavender ice cream?

    Reply
    • Grow Forage Cook Ferment says

      May 29, 2017 at 4:02 pm

      I have never made lavender soap, but Jan Berry has a recipe for it in her Natural Soap Making eBook. Lavender ice cream sounds amazing, I’d love to find a recipe for that!

      Reply
  14. Marina tito says

    August 20, 2016 at 2:28 am

    Apparently it also discourages kangaroos if this is a problem.

    Reply

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Hello there! I’m Colleen.

I want to inspire you to live seasonally, become more self sufficient, and protect your health. I share information on foraging and wildcrafting, fermenting and preserving, cooking whole foods from scratch, permaculture gardening, and making herbal products. And that’s just the beginning! Learn more.

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