Harvesting lavender is simple, and the more you do it, the more you’ll get. In this post, you’ll learn what part to cut, and the best time to do it. Then I’ll show you exactly how to pick the buds and leaves, and give you tips for storing them too.
Lavender is a beautiful and highly fragrant herb that is extremely popular for it’s calming effect. Lots of gardeners love growing lavender in their home garden for the bright purple flowers alone.
But many new gardeners are unsure about harvesting lavender. In fact, a few of the most common questions I get are “What part of lavender do you harvest?” and “When is the best time to do it?“.
The good news is that, once you know the answers to these questions, and I show you how, you’ll see just how easy it is!
What Part Of Lavender Do You Harvest?
The part of lavender that most people harvest are the flower buds, but the leaves are also edible. Below I will show you how to pick them both.
One thing to note… the leaves smell as good as the buds, but they have a different flavor. So, keep that in mind before deciding which part you want to try.
When To Harvest Lavender
You can harvest lavender any time during the day. But be sure to cut the flowers before the buds open for the best fragrance and flavor. You can also pick them after they bloom, but the oils won’t be as strong.
Since most types bloom throughout the season, you will be able to pick from them almost continuously for a good part of summer. Cutting the flowers regularly encourages even more blooms!
If you want to cut sprigs of leaves, you can pinch them off at any time. But the best time to do it is right after the stem is done blooming, or at the same time as you cut the flower.
Related Post: How To Grow Lavender From Seed & When To Plant
How To Harvest Fresh Lavender
The steps here are a bit different depending on whether you want the buds or the leaves. First, I’ll show you exactly how to gather the flowers, then I’ll talk about picking the leaves.
How To Harvest Lavender Flowers
To harvest lavender flowers, simply snip each stem all the way down to the top of the leaves.
Don’t try to remove the individual buds. This is very tedious, and you could easily end up crushing them in the process.
Use a sharp pair of precision pruners to remove the stems. Trying to pluck or pinch them off could crush or damage the stem.
Related Post: How To Collect Lavender Seeds From Your Garden
How To Harvest Lavender Leaves
To harvest lavender leaves, you can either cut small springs, or pinch off individual leaves as you need them. Just be sure to use the tender new growth, and avoid any dry or brown leaves.
If you don’t want to sacrifice the flowers, then make sure to gather the sprigs after the stem is done blooming. Or, you can cut off the whole tip, flower and all.
Also, be sure to avoid cutting into the woody stems. If you do that, it will never grow back. So it’s best to know what you’re doing. Learn exactly how to prune lavender here.
How Often Can You Harvest Lavender?
You can harvest lavender buds as long as it is blooming. And you can gather the leaves as often as you want at any time during the summer.
The exact length of time your plant will flower depends on the variety you have. Most will start sometime in early summer, and bloom continuously all the way through fall.
Related Post: Lavender Cookies Recipe (Using Dried Or Fresh Buds)
How To Store Fresh Lavender
For best results, simply store fresh cut lavender stems in a vase of water on the counter. It will last up to a week. But be sure to use it as soon as you can for the strongest flavor and fragrance.
If you want to store it longer, then try drying it. It’s super easy to do, and there are a few methods you can try! Learn exactly how to dry lavender here.
FAQs About Harvesting Lavender
In this section, I’ll answer some of the most commonly asked questions about harvesting lavender. If yours isn’t answered here, ask it in the comments section below.
Does lavender grow back after cutting?
Lavender will grow back after cutting as long as you only cut either the flowers or the green parts of the stems. However, if you cut down to the hardwood, then it will not grow back.
Can you harvest lavender after it flowers?
Yes, you can harvest lavender after it flowers – in fact, that is when you want to pick it if you’re after the buds. As for the leaves, the flavor doesn’t change after it blooms, so you can continue to use those too.
Regularly harvesting lavender buds encourages the plant to bloom even more. So, now that you know when and how to do it, you’ll have tons of this wonderful and fragrant herb to use in your kitchen or for crafting.
More Garden Harvesting Posts
- How & When To Harvest Parsley
- How & When To Harvest Basil Leaves
- Free Garden Harvest Tracking Sheet & Guide
- How To Harvest Chives & When To Pick Them
- When And How To Harvest Tomatillos
- How & When To Harvest Sage Fresh From Your Garden
- How & When To Harvest Aloe Vera
Share your tips for how to harvest lavender in the comment section below!
Jane says
Thank you for this! I love lavender and this year I wanted to harvest it for making lemon-lavender cookies and some other cooking. I wanted to ask if you should wash it before you use it and / or dry it, please?
Thank you so much
Amy Andrychowicz says
I don’t not wash my lavender before using it. Unless it’s obviously dirty, you really don’t need to. Here is my cookie recipe, if you’d like to try that. It’s so yummy!!
Leigh says
Jane, I’m planning on doing lab ice cookies! Any tips???
Mustafa says
Ä° would like to learn your lemon-lavender cookies recipes. Thank you.
maria tanquary says
Hi, I hoped I might be able to ask you a ? I want to make tea with my lavender and I have both French and English Lavender. Which is better for tea and what does it look like when you should cut it. I’m a super visual person. thank you so much.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Though you could use any type of lavender for tea, English is the best because it has the strongest oils. The article above has all the details for when and how to harvest lavender, including tons of photos, so take a second look through that to answer your other questions. 🙂
alexandra says
I have two types of lavender in my gravel-covered back yard, and now I’m seeing what I first thought were weeds popping up within a foot of the lavender. The leaves seem similar to my lavender and I’m wondering if they are self-propogating? If so, I certainly don’t want to pull them out. Is this possible?
Amy Andrychowicz says
Yes, lavender plants do produce seeds, and it’s definitely possible that they sowed themselves. How cool! Here’s a related post you might be interested in reading… How To Collect Lavender Seeds From Your Garden
Dawny says
I have put pillows of lavendar all over my flat as it is a damp place and I don’t like artificial scents covering things. I cannot smell it when I enter even though there is a bag just inside the door, what am I doing wrong?
Amy Andrychowicz says
Dried lavender isn’t highly fragrant, and the scent fades over time. You could try shaking or squeezing the lavender filled pillows to help release the scent. But, if it’s just sitting there, the fragrance isn’t going to be very strong.
Yvonne Bickford says
Put drop if lavender essential oil on them
Marti says
Can you only use the lavender flowers? What about the leaves? Can you use them too?
Amy Andrychowicz says
Yes, lavender leaves are also edible and there are many great uses for them. But they don’t have the same flavor as the flowers. Plus, the lavender oils are the strongest in the flower buds.
Carolyn says
Can you make infused oils, etc. with the lavender seedpods as opposed to just the flowers?
Amy Andrychowicz says
I don’t think so. I believe all of the essential oils are in the lavender buds and flowers, and not the seed pods.
Christine Fröemmrich-Roß says
Hi!
Nice greetings from Germany. I make lavendel relaxing bath oil. You pull of the fresh lavender buds, put them in jar, so that is 1/3 filled. Now fill up with olive oil or another oil.Close the jar. Let rest for 3 weeks. Every time I past I jolt a little bit.
After the 3 weeks I strain it. And fill it in a dark bottle.
Then you can take a bath. Take a cup of milk, put in 3tabelspoons of oil and relax.
The first time I made it my husband asked, what I will do with that and do not like to taste it. But after he has taken a bath once, after a hard working winter day, he asked me to make it every year.
By Christine
Amy Andrychowicz says
That sounds fabulous! Thanks so much for sharing your recipe for DIY lavender bath oil. I’ll definitely have to try that out!
Sarah Balsley says
I added a little dried lavender to peach jam when I was making it and the two flavours are delicious together! Who knew?!
Amy Andrychowicz says
Wow, lavender and peach jam – that sounds amazing! Thanks for sharing that.
LindaCTG says
Thank you! I really love these tips for harvesting lavender and I'm so adding lavender to my garden again.
Amy Andrychowicz says
You're welcome Linda! Glad I inspired you to add lavender back into your garden! 🙂