Lavender Grosso Live Starter Plant – Aromatic Perennial Herb, 3 Inch Pot

Overview

Introduce the delightful fragrance of Provence into your garden with our lavender grosso live plant. This robust starter plant, scientifically known as Lavandula x intermedia ‘Grosso’, is perfect for planting and will establish quickly to bring a touch of elegance and a calming aroma to your outdoor space. Known for its strong scent and beautiful purple blooms, Grosso Lavender is a highly sought-after variety for essential oils, culinary uses, and ornamental gardening. You will receive a healthy, well-rooted young plant in a nursery pot, ready to be transplanted into your garden or a larger container. While the plant arrives as a starter, it carries the promise of future vibrant flowers and abundant fragrance, making it an excellent addition for any gardener.

This particular lavender grosso live plant is celebrated for its vigorous growth and exceptional oil production, making it a favorite among both home gardeners and commercial growers. It’s an excellent choice for creating fragrant hedges, borders, or adding to herb gardens. Its resilience and adaptability make it a rewarding plant to cultivate, providing beauty and utility for many seasons to come. Embrace the charm of this classic Mediterranean herb.

Key Benefits

Integrating a lavender grosso live plant into your landscape offers a multitude of advantages beyond its obvious beauty. This versatile herb provides both aesthetic appeal and practical benefits that enhance any garden setting:

• Exceptional Fragrance: Grosso Lavender is renowned for its strong, sweet, and calming aroma, making it perfect for aromatherapy, sachets, and potpourri. The scent also helps deter common garden pests.
• Beautiful Blooms: Produces abundant, long-stemmed, deep purple flower spikes that create a stunning visual impact in garden beds, borders, and containers. These flowers are also excellent for cutting and drying.
• Attracts Pollinators: The vibrant flowers are a magnet for bees, butterflies, and other beneficial pollinators, contributing to the health and biodiversity of your garden ecosystem.
• Drought-Tolerant: Once established, this perennial lavender plant is highly tolerant of dry conditions, requiring minimal watering and making it an ideal choice for water-wise gardening.
• Low Maintenance: Grosso Lavender is relatively easy to care for, thriving in full sun and well-draining soil with minimal fuss, making it suitable for both novice and experienced gardeners.
• Culinary and Medicinal Uses: The aromatic flowers and leaves can be used in various culinary applications, from infusing desserts to flavoring savory dishes. It also boasts traditional medicinal properties, often used for relaxation and stress relief.
• Deer and Rabbit Resistant: Its strong scent and bitter taste naturally deter deer and rabbits, protecting your garden from common browsing pests.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Caring for your lavender grosso live plant is straightforward, especially when you understand its specific needs. To ensure your lavender grosso plant care is successful and yields a thriving, fragrant specimen, focus on providing the right environmental conditions from the start. This variety, Lavandula x intermedia ‘Grosso’, prefers conditions similar to its Mediterranean origins.

Sunlight: Full sun is absolutely essential for Grosso Lavender to flourish. Provide at least 6 to 8+ hours of direct sunlight daily. Insufficient light will lead to sparse flowering, reduced fragrance, and a leggy growth habit. Plant it in the sunniest spot in your garden, away from the shade of larger plants or structures.

Soil: Well-draining soil is critical. Lavender hates wet feet, so sandy or gravelly soil is ideal. If your soil is heavy clay, amend it generously with sand, gravel, or organic matter to improve drainage. The ideal pH for Grosso Lavender is slightly alkaline, between 6.5 and 8.0. Avoid rich, heavy, or consistently wet soils, as these can lead to root rot. Good air circulation around the plants is also important to prevent fungal issues.

Watering: When first establishing your young aromatic lavender herb, water lightly but regularly, allowing the top inch or two of soil to dry out between waterings. Once established (typically after the first growing season), Grosso Lavender becomes highly drought-tolerant and requires very little supplemental water. Overwatering is the most common cause of failure for lavender plants. Allow the soil to dry out completely between waterings, especially in cooler weather.

Temperature & Hardiness: This robust perennial thrives in warm, dry conditions and is quite tolerant of both summer heat and winter cold once mature. It is generally hardy in USDA Zones 5-9. In colder zones, provide winter protection or grow in containers that can be moved indoors. Good air circulation is vital to prevent humidity-related issues, particularly in humid climates.

Fertilization: Lavender generally prefers lean soil and does not require heavy fertilization. If your soil is very poor, a light application of a balanced, slow-release fertilizer in early spring can be beneficial. Avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers, which promote leafy growth at the expense of flowers and fragrance.

Pruning: Prune your lavandula angustifolia in early spring, after the last frost, to maintain a compact shape and encourage new growth and abundant flowering. You can also deadhead spent flowers during the blooming season to promote continuous blooming.

Size & Details

You will receive one healthy lavender grosso live plant, grown in a 3-inch nursery pot. This starter plant is well-rooted and ready for transplanting into your garden or a larger container. While currently a young plant, it will mature into a beautiful and fragrant specimen. Grosso Lavender typically grows to a height of 24-36 inches (60-90 cm) and spreads about 24-30 inches (60-75 cm) wide, forming a dense, rounded shrub. It exhibits a moderate to fast growth rate, quickly filling out to create an impressive display. Expect the first significant blooms in its second year, with increasing abundance as the plant matures. The plant ships securely to ensure it arrives in the best possible condition, ready for your care.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big does this lavender grosso live plant get? A: A mature Lavender Grosso plant typically reaches 24-36 inches in height and 24-30 inches in width, forming a lovely, fragrant bush.
• Q: What size pot does it come in? A: Your lavender grosso live plant will arrive well-rooted in a 3-inch nursery pot, ready for you to transplant it into a larger container or directly into your garden.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: Grosso Lavender is primarily an outdoor plant, thriving in full sun. While it can be briefly brought indoors for winter in very cold climates, it generally prefers outdoor conditions.
• Q: How much sunlight does it need? A: This aromatic lavender herb requires a minimum of 6-8 hours of direct full sun daily to produce the best blooms and fragrance.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? A: Yes, Grosso Lavender is considered low-maintenance once established, especially when planted in suitable conditions with full sun and well-draining soil.
• Q: What condition will it arrive in? A: You will receive one healthy, well-rooted starter plant in soil, similar to the last photo shown. It will be a young plant, not yet in bloom.
• Q: When is the best time to plant perennial lavender plant? A: The best time to plant Grosso Lavender is in spring after the last frost, or in early fall in warmer climates, allowing it time to establish roots before extreme temperatures.
• Q: Will it survive winter in my zone? A: Grosso Lavender is hardy in USDA Zones 5-9. In zone 5, it may benefit from winter protection or mulching.
• Q: Can I use this lavender for culinary purposes? A: Yes, Grosso Lavender, an excellent lavandula angustifolia hybrid, is often used for its strong fragrance and can be used in culinary applications, though some prefer English lavender varieties for a sweeter taste.
• Q: How often should I water my lavender grosso plant care? A: Water sparingly. Allow the soil to dry out completely between waterings, especially once the plant is established. Overwatering is detrimental.