Lavender Phenomenal Live Plant Plug – Starter Plant, Aromatic Herb, 1-3″ Tall

Overview

Introduce the timeless beauty and intoxicating fragrance of lavender to your garden with this premium lavender phenomenal live plant plug. Renowned for its exceptional hardiness, vigorous growth, and stunning purple blooms, ‘Phenomenal’ lavender (Lavandula x intermedia ‘Phenomenal’) is a hybrid variety that truly lives up to its name. This healthy starter plug provides an excellent foundation for establishing a robust and long-lasting lavender bush in your landscape. Unlike some more delicate lavenders, phenomenal lavender care is surprisingly easy, making it an ideal choice for both novice and experienced gardeners. Its strong, upright growth habit and ability to withstand various environmental conditions ensure a consistent display of aromatic foliage and flowers throughout the growing season. This particular variety is celebrated for its silvery-green foliage and dense, vibrant purple flower spikes, which are not only visually appealing but also highly attractive to pollinators like bees and butterflies. Whether you’re creating a fragrant herb garden, a border, or simply adding a touch of Mediterranean charm to your yard, this lavender phenomenal live plant will be a standout.

Originating from a cross between English and Portuguese lavender, ‘Phenomenal’ inherited the best traits from both parents, resulting in a plant that is remarkably tolerant to heat, humidity, and cold. This aromatic lavender herb is perfect for planting in sunny locations where its delightful scent can be fully appreciated. It’s an excellent choice for culinary uses, aromatherapy, or simply enjoying its calming presence in your outdoor space. Your starter plug is a young, well-rooted plant, ready to transition into your garden and flourish into a mature, magnificent specimen.

Key Benefits

The lavender phenomenal live plant offers a multitude of benefits, making it a highly desirable addition to any garden. Its robust nature and beautiful appearance contribute to its widespread popularity:

• Exceptional Hardiness: This variety is incredibly resilient, thriving in USDA Zones 5-9. It tolerates heat, humidity, frost, and cold winters better than many other lavender types, ensuring a reliable performance year after year. This makes phenomenal lavender care straightforward and rewarding.
• Vibrant Aromatic Blooms: Produces abundant, rich purple flower spikes that release a captivating, classic lavender fragrance. These blooms are perfect for fresh bouquets, dried arrangements, sachets, or culinary applications. It’s a truly aromatic lavender herb.
• Pollinator Magnet: The fragrant flowers are a favorite of bees, butterflies, and other beneficial pollinators, helping to support local ecosystems and enhance the biodiversity of your garden.
• Drought Tolerant: Once established, ‘Phenomenal’ lavender requires minimal watering, making it an excellent choice for xeriscaping or gardens in drier climates. This reduces water consumption and maintenance efforts.
• Deer and Rabbit Resistant: The strong scent and taste of lavender deter common garden pests like deer and rabbits, protecting your plants naturally.
• Versatile Garden Use: Ideal for borders, mass plantings, rock gardens, herb gardens, or as a fragrant low hedge. Its compact, mounding habit also makes it suitable for larger containers. This lavender for planting is incredibly adaptable.
• Low Maintenance: This robust plant requires relatively little attention once established, thriving with minimal intervention beyond occasional pruning. This contributes to the ease of phenomenal lavender care.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Proper care is essential for your lavender phenomenal live plant to thrive and produce its signature fragrant blooms. This variety is known for its resilience, but providing the right conditions will ensure optimal growth. Lavender ‘Phenomenal’ requires full sun, meaning at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day. More sun generally leads to more abundant blooms, a stronger scent, and a more compact plant shape. When selecting a planting location, consider an area that receives ample morning sun and good air circulation to prevent fungal issues.

Soil drainage is paramount for lavender. This variety absolutely despises standing water, which can quickly lead to root rot. The ideal soil type is sandy, rocky, or a loose loam, with a pH between 6.5 and 7.5 (neutral to slightly alkaline). If your garden soil is heavy clay, it’s crucial to amend it generously with sand, perlite, or small gravel to improve drainage. Raised beds are also an excellent option for ensuring proper drainage. When watering your french lavender starter, especially during its first 1-2 weeks after planting, keep the soil lightly moist to help the roots establish. Once established, mature plants are highly drought-tolerant. Water deeply but infrequently, only when the top 1-2 inches of soil feel dry to the touch. Overwatering is the main cause of yellowing leaves and root rot in lavender.

The lavender phenomenal live plant is hardy in USDA Zones 5-9 and is remarkably tolerant of a wide range of temperatures. It performs exceptionally well in regions with high heat and humidity, outperforming many English lavender varieties in such conditions. It can also withstand frost and cold winters. Fertilization is generally not necessary for lavender, as it prefers lean soil. If your soil is very poor, a light application of a balanced, slow-release granular fertilizer in spring can be beneficial, but avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers, which promote leafy growth at the expense of flowers. Pruning is important for maintaining shape and encouraging new growth and blooms. Prune in early spring, removing about one-third of the plant’s height, and a lighter trim after the first flush of flowers to encourage a second bloom. This simple routine ensures excellent phenomenal lavender care.

Size & Details

You will receive one healthy lavender phenomenal live plant plug, typically measuring 1-3 inches tall from the top of the soil. This healthy starter plant is well-rooted in soil and grown in a nursery pot, ready for transplanting into your garden or a larger container. While the images may showcase mature plants, please note that your order is for a young starter plant, and it will not have flowers at the time of arrival. This allows you to nurture it from its early stages and enjoy its full growth potential. This french lavender starter is designed to establish quickly once planted.

‘Phenomenal’ lavender typically grows to a mature size of 24-36 inches tall and wide, forming a beautiful, mounding bush. It has a moderate growth rate, establishing itself well within the first year and reaching its full size within 2-3 years. The plant will develop its characteristic silvery-green foliage and dense, vibrant purple flower spikes as it matures. This lavender for planting is shipped with care to ensure it arrives in the best possible condition, providing you with a strong foundation for a thriving lavender garden. Expect blooming to begin in late spring to early summer, with potential for a second flush of flowers if pruned after the first bloom.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big will my Lavender Phenomenal plant get? A: Your lavender phenomenal live plant will typically grow to be 24-36 inches tall and wide at maturity, forming a lovely, mounding bush. Its robust growth habit makes it a significant presence in the garden.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: The lavender phenomenal live plant is primarily an outdoor plant, thriving in full sun in USDA Zones 5-9. While it can be grown in containers, it generally performs best when planted directly in the ground.
• Q: How much sunlight does this lavender need? A: This lavender variety requires full sun, meaning at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day, for optimal growth, flowering, and fragrance. Adequate sun is crucial for good phenomenal lavender care.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? A: Yes, ‘Phenomenal’ lavender is considered relatively easy to care for, especially once established. It’s known for its drought tolerance and resilience to various weather conditions, making phenomenal lavender care quite manageable.
• Q: What condition will the plant arrive in? A: Your french lavender starter will arrive as a healthy, well-rooted plug, typically 1-3 inches tall. It will be a young plant without flowers, ready for planting and further growth in your garden.
• Q: When is the best time to plant this lavender? A: The best time to plant your lavender for planting is in spring after the last frost, or in early fall in warmer climates. This allows the plant to establish its root system before extreme weather.
• Q: Will it survive winter in my zone? A: Yes, ‘Phenomenal’ lavender is hardy in USDA Zones 5-9, meaning it is well-equipped to survive cold winters within these zones. It shows excellent resistance to frost and cold.
• Q: Can I use this lavender for cooking or aromatherapy? A: Absolutely! As an aromatic lavender herb, ‘Phenomenal’ lavender is excellent for culinary uses, essential oil extraction, and sachets. Its strong fragrance is perfect for aromatherapy applications.
• Q: What kind of soil does it prefer? A: This lavender thrives in well-drained soil, ideally sandy, rocky, or loose loam with a neutral to slightly alkaline pH (6.5-7.5). Good drainage is critical for preventing root rot.
• Q: How often should I water my newly planted lavender? A: For the first 1-2 weeks after planting, keep the soil lightly moist to help the roots establish. After establishment, water deeply only when the top 1-2 inches of soil are dry; it is highly drought-tolerant.