Who doesn’t love lavender? Not only does it add a gorgeous contrast of bright purple flowers against their silver/gray foliage to the garden, but the bees love it too… PLUS it smells amazing!
Growing lavender is great for so many reasons! Once you learn how to propagate lavender plants from your garden, you’ll be able to grow as much lavender as you want – and you can share it with all your friends too!
There are a few different ways you can propagate lavender plants: by rooting the stems in soil, by rooting the cuttings in water, or by collecting lavender seeds from your garden.
In this post, I’m only going to talk about how to propagate lavender from cuttings taken from mature plants, and then propagating them either in water or soil.
How To Propagate Lavender Plants
Before you can propagate lavender, you’ll need to collect a few supplies. Don’t worry, you won’t need a bunch of expensive equipment – and you probably already have some of this stuff on hand.
Supplies Needed:
- Propagation soil (I make my own using a mix of perlite, vermiculite, and potting soil – but a nice seed starting mix will work too)
- A container or propagation chamber
- Rooting hormone
- A sharp, sterile pair of clippers or a sharp knife
- Plastic bag (optional)
Supplies needed for lavender plant propagation
If you’re going to be propagating lavender inside the house or outside in a dry climate, you’ll need to add humidity.
It will be easiest to use a propagation chamber, or cover your cuttings with a plastic bag if you put them in a pot (simply tent the bag over the top of the cuttings).
But if you live in a humid climate like I do, lavender cuttings will root pretty quickly outside in a shady spot.
Have soil ready before taking lavender cuttings
Prepare the soil or vase of water before taking your cuttings, that way you can get them into the dirt or water fairly quickly.
You don’t want to let lavender cuttings dry out before you try propagating them.
Related Post: How to Harvest, Dry and Use Lavender
Taking Lavender Cuttings For Propagation
There are a few things you need to look for before you take cuttings from your lavender plants.
Ideally you want to take cuttings of branches that haven’t flowered yet. Flowering takes a lot of energy from the plant, and a branch that hasn’t flowered yet will be able to put all of that energy into growing new roots instead.
Lavender branch without flowers
It’s also best to take cuttings from a mature lavender plant rather than one that’s brand new or immature. Once you find the perfect branch, cut it from the plant at the base of the stem.
Taking cuttings for lavender propagation
Take cuttings that are several inches long. You want the cuttings to have 3-5 leaf nodes on the stems that you can remove, but still have several inches of growth at the top. Learn how to prune lavender plants.
Lavender cuttings ready for propagation
Preparing Lavender Cuttings For Propagation
After taking cuttings from your lavender plant, remove the bottom 3-5 sets of leaves from the stem of the cutting. You can pinch them off with your fingernail, or snip them off with a sharp pair of clippers.
Lavender cutting with several leaf nodes
You want to leave small wounds on the stems, that’s where the roots will grow out of.
Longer stems make it easier to propagate lavender plants because there will be more stem area to stick in the dirt/water, and that gives you a better chance of rooting.
Remove lower leaves before propagating lavender
If any of the lavender cuttings you took had already started to flower, simply snip or pinch off the flower spike to encourage the cutting to put that energy into growing new roots.
A cutting with a flower on it is probably not going to root.
Pinch off lavender flower spike before propagating
Propagating Lavender Cuttings In Soil
Once your cuttings are ready, dip the base of the cutting in rooting hormone. Rooting hormone helps plants root faster (and gives you a better chance of success!).
Dip lavender cutting in rooting hormone
Make a hole in the dirt with your finger first, this way the rooting hormone won’t rub off when you stick the cutting into the soil.
Make hole in propagation soil
Then place the cutting into the hole and gently press soil around the stem of the cutting so that it stays firm in the soil, and also so that the soil will come in contact with the stem.
Place lavender cutting in soil
Repeat the same steps for the rest of your lavender cuttings. You can put several cuttings into one large pot or your propagation chamber, but try to space them apart far enough so they don’t touch each other.
This will ensure adequate airflow, and will help to avoid molding or rotting of the cuttings.
Gently press soil around lavender cutting
Protect your lavender cuttings from sun, wind and heavy rain during propagation – but make sure the cuttings never dry out completely.
Try to keep the soil evenly moist, and you can also mist the cuttings if you’re not using a propagation chamber or plastic bag.
Propagating lavender in soil
Once you start to see new growth, that’s a good indication that the cutting has started to grow roots.
It takes 3-6 weeks for roots to develop on lavender cuttings, depending on the temperature and humidity level. Adding bottom heat will help to speed things up, and helps the cutting root faster.
Rooting Lavender Cuttings In Water
Propagating lavender plants in water is even easier than using soil. But on the down side, cuttings rooted in water have a harder time being potted up than those that are propagated in soil.
It’s fun to experiment, so I encourage you to try both methods to see which one works the best for you!
Propagating lavender cuttings in water
To propagate lavender plants in water, follow the same steps above to take the cuttings and prepare them for propagation.
Then all you need to do is put your lavender cuttings into a vase of water just like you would with fresh cut flowers.
Don’t allow any of the leaves to touch the water, or they will only rot. I like to use a clear vase for propagating my cuttings so I can easily see when the roots start to form.
Potting Up Your New Lavender Plants
Once the roots are established, it’s time to pot your lavender cuttings up into their own pots. At this point, you can move them into the sun, and allow the soil to dry out a bit between waterings.
After your lavender plants become established in their new pot, you can plant them into the garden. I recommend planting your baby lavender plants on a shady day, or in the early evening after the intense heat of the sun has passed.
Propagating plants is fun and addicting! If you want to learn how to propagate even more of your favorite plants, then you will love my Plant Propagation eBook. It has everything you need to get started using basic propagation methods to propagate any plant that you want! Download your copy today.
Now that you know how to propagate lavender, read our comprehensive lavender plant care guide next!
Products I Recommend
More Information About Plant Propagation
- What Is Plant Propagation (and how to get started)
- Plant Propagation Supplies
- A Cheap and Easy Propagation Box for Rooting Cuttings
- Propagating Mint Plants From Cuttings Step-By-Step
Have you ever tried to propagate lavender plants from your garden? Share your tips in the comments section below!
Naomi S. says
I absolutely love lavendar–the little purple flowers and the delicious smell. I want so much to be able to grow it. But I can’t, seemingly. Every lavendar plant I’ve purchased has died. I’ve tried placing it in the sun and in partial sun. Keeping it moist or letting it dry out between waterings. It always dies. I have many plants–garden and house plants, and I have good success, but not with the lavendar. It is so frustrating because I am so fond of the plant. Do you have any tips that might help me to succeed with this plant?
Amy Andrychowicz says
Oh no, sorry to hear that you can’t grow it. Lavender likes a well draining soil, and doesn’t like to be sitting in soggy or consistently wet soil. I have very sandy soil, and lavender grows great in my garden. If you have a spot in your garden where the soil dries out fast, then that’s the perfect place to try growing lavender again.
Louise Nelson says
Hi Naomi, I love lavenders too. I also had a difficult time having successful plants. At a natural gardeners nursery I found 3 different varieties of lavender. One was English lavender and I don’t remember the names of the other 2 but one of them was marked as best for our area ( central Texas). Well the others had larger blooms , so I bought all three, and sure enough the only one I had success with is the one they said was best for our neck of the woods. My 3″ pot is now a 3’X3′ plant. It’s 3 years old and I get plants from cutting usually successfully in the early spring. I also don’t plant it immediately, I tried it in different locations to see where it seemed to be happiest. Then put it in a 1″ larger pot and kept it in the most favored location, after it showed healthy growth I planted it in a hole larger than the pot with sand in the bottom for drainage. Good luck with your next attempt. Louise
Ada Ardito says
I had horrid results with lavender also until a couple of years ago. I grew tired of looking at the sick plants in my garden. Just yanked them out and stuck them in another bed…clay soil…full sun…. and totally neglected them in the heat of the Arizona desert. To my surprise they flourished 🙂 Now I am here to learn how to propagate more!!
Amy Andrychowicz says
Awesome! 🙂
Hollie says
Im with ya… a lady told me to use packing peanuts and don’t over water.. this is the fourth time with lavender plant in pots! So far I havent killed it! Ive got them on the south side of my home. So far they are doing well! I almost hold my breath when I do anything to them!! 🙄
Sandy Bush says
We have ours planted in rocks in the west side of the house for years. It loves it & self seeds.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Awesome! I don’t think mine has ever seeded itself, at least not that I have noticed. But I have collected lavender seeds before, and that’s pretty easy! 🙂
Aurora Hernandez says
I will appreciate advise to how to propagate my rosemary and which months to do that
as well as other plants That is my passion to see new creatures propagated by my hand.
Thank you very much. My admiration for the people that knows all this things.
Aurora Hernandez.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Propagating rosemary would be similar to propagating lavender. I don’t have a post about that yet though. 🙂
Tish says
The process with rosemary IS quite similar, but with rosemary I suggest before using it with rooting powder, that you scrape a few small areas of its thin bark around the cutting and soaking it for about 5 minutes after in H2O and then dip immediately into powder and plant..keeping it out of direct light and moist. Best of luck, this process generally works well for me (At times I skip the powder part.
MJ says
I use the same method as Trish, except I don’t like to use rooting hormone on food plants. Instead I will use compost tea, or even a diluted black tea from the mornings tea bags, to soak the cuttings in. I also water my plants w/ this mixture once they get roots. Adding some Kelp, Fish meal and bone meal gets the plants established quickly, very, very healthy, and with a deep root base. (again a very dilute, mild mixture) I keep my Rosemary in pots so far. I may establish a few plants outside next yr. and see if I can get them to over winter w/ my Thyme & Greek Oregano They just might do it!.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Awesome, thanks for you added propagation tips, and also for sharing your experience with rooting cuttings. Plants really do love compost tea, kelp and fish emulsion. It’s amazing. 🙂
vagmeli says
je vais essayer ,afin d’avoir de la lavande dans ma nouvelle maison,
Merci pour les conseils,espèrons que je vais réussir
Amy Andrychowicz says
You’re welcome, and good luck!
Carina says
I think I killed my lavender plant. I watered it last week and then the leaves looked and felt like they were drying out so I watered it again but it’s just getting worse. Now almost the entire plant looks dark brown and dried out with a bit of green left but the soil is moist. Can I save the last green stems and propagate them in water?
Amy Andrychowicz says
Uh oh, that doesn’t sound good. Yes, it sure wouldn’t hurt to try saving the last few pieces of green to see if you can still propagate them… but if they are really small, it might not work.
Carina says
I tried to propagate the last remaining green stems but sadly it didn’t work out. I’ve tried many times to grow lavender from seeds and then this last time I bought a lavender plant, I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. It’s so frustrating because I really love lavender but my plants never survive ? I live in Arizona and I’m wondering if the constant sun is the issue.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Shoot! Sorry to hear that propagating the last of them didn’t work. Lavender is a drought tolerant plant and, as far as I know, it can be grown in AZ. Maybe you’re planting it at the wrong time of year? Since your summers are so hot, you definitely want to plant it during the cooler fall months rather than in the spring or summer. When you buy your next lavender plant, I would talk to someone at the garden center to see if they have any specific tips for growing lavender in your climate.
Hollie says
That’s
My issue it gets so hot in summermonths
I’mnot sure were to put them? I have a sreen enclosed porch.do I put in morning sun? When not so hot??
Amy Andrychowicz says
Yes, since you live in a hot climate, I would recommend a spot that gets morning/evening sun rather than a hot south facing location during the summer months.
jane miles says
I’ve propagated lavender a few times with success and will be doing it again after reading this article. I’ve also got rosemary cuttings soaking in water and its got little roots coming!
Amy Andrychowicz says
Awesome, great job! Propagating lavender (and other plants) is addicting!! 🙂
Virginia Cauley says
Do established lavender plants transplant well? Stalks are drying out where planted now.
Thank you
Virginia Cauley
Amy Andrychowicz says
Yes, lavender usually transplants just fine. Sounds like it’s going through transplant shock. Make sure it’s getting enough water in it’s new spot to help with the transition, you may need to baby it for a few weeks. Also, you can trim off the dead branches to help it look healthier.
Mary jo says
Last year I bought a lavender plant. Some issyes came in my life & I pretty much left the plant in its original container on the patio. I watered it but, it didn’t do well at all. Then in the Fall I cut it way down because it was all dried up. I was hoping new shoots would come to life this Spring. They didn’t. To get some new blooms can I take the rootball & plant it in my garden? Or is the plant dead beyond repare?
Amy Andrychowicz says
If there isn’t any new growth on the plant, then I think it might be dead. It sure wouldn’t hurt to try planting it to see if it pops back… but that might just end up being a waste of time. Sorry! 🙁
Heather says
Are lilacs propagated similarly? My neighbor has this gorgeous one that is deep blue when it flowers that I haven’t seen anywhere else since I was a kid.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Yes. Lilacs are trickier, but they can be propagated using the first method of rooting the cuttings in dirt. I would recommend using a propagation chamber, or putting a baggie around the cuttings to keep the air very humid. Bottom heat will also help.
Mary Craig says
I’ve had the best luck with lavender when I plant it under a huge old maple tree. It has a southern exposure so it does get some all day sun, but it’s protected by the shade of tree limbs also. There’s a 20′ circle garden of shade plants around the big tree. I’ve noticed that the lavender plants closer to the outer edge of the garden don’t do as well. The color isn’t as saturated, & they sprawl out rather than growing into a nice compact, more vertices shape. I keep reading that lavender requires full sun but, from my experience, a mix of sun and shade works best, in my southeastern Michigan, region 5-6 area. After reading your article, I’m anxious to try propagating some lavender plants! Thank you for all your helpful tips.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Interesting! Thanks for sharing your experience (and including your growing zone too!). Do you know what type of lavender you’re growing? Have fun experimenting with propagating your lavender plants, it’s so much fun!
Paula says
When you put the lavender into vases, you don’t use rooting hormone, correct?
Amy Andrychowicz says
Correct.
Rob says
What time of year should I try this? I am in New Jersey, zone 6a. Thank you!
Amy Andrychowicz says
You can propagate lavender plant cuttings anytime during the summer.
Michelle Willems says
I don’t think that I’ve ever lost a lavender plant that I’ve bought. Definitely not too much water and well draining soil. I had a plant that grew happily with no attention at all!
I’ve just come across a Bella Pink lavender which is supposed to have red flowers, and also some cuttings from a double headed lavender. I’ve taken all of the advice here, and have some cuttings from the red and also the double headed variety, and have some in a pot covered with cling wrap, and some in a small amount of water, so here’s hoping that I can get some more plants from those cuttings.
I live in Australia.
Thanks and cheers ??
Amy Andrychowicz says
How fun! Good luck with your lavender cuttings, I hope they will grow new roots fast and thrive for you!
cheyl says
I have tried for years to grow Lavender in three different states I said this is the last time I read an artical from a ladie in Texas who grows it. She said to plant it where the roots get heat you can put rocks around it or place plants near your drive ways the heat from the dconcrete will help and I am proud to say my two plants have doubled in size and are doing wonderful in Morning sun on the south side of the house next to the drive way good luck.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing your tips and experience for successfully growing lavender. 🙂
Sharon Diemer says
My daughter gave me a lavender tree. After the first bloom I cut it back like it said to and it grew just fine. I just don’t know what to do with it over winter. Can I plant it in my garden next spring and is it hardy. I live in S.W. Minnesota. Thanks for any help you can give me.
Amy Andrychowicz says
It depends on the variety of lavender you’re growing. Some are hardier than others.
Elena Castagnetti says
Hi – i got all the necessary info fm my cousin in London UK where she is overwhelmed with Lavender! So i bought a couple plants – i live in Italy and summers are pretty hot. Planted them straight into the ground, clayish soil so mixed it with some sand. As ORDERED by my cousin, planted where the roots can go DEEP, and never over water. They grew a wonder! The first year just pruned them back… our plant supplier (we almost live in the countryside) gave me about 10 small potted lavenders at the end of the season for free: they were tall but no flowers, looked just like dried up twigs. Well, planted them anyway near my dogs hoping the WOULD grow a ton for a sort of hedge. Watered them rarely, and rain etc was enough, and no snow or freeze over that year.
The beginning of the growing season surprised me with green twigs, leaves and YES! They grew beautifully!!!! Have never pruned them, but will this year reading your info. And have usually harvested to late when flowers were almost dry. So will do as you said. And will try propagating too….
Till now – 3 yrs – they have simply grown taller and bushier every year providing me with ALL the flowers i could possibly want for biggish pot pourris for wardrobes etc, ; plenty longstemmed for decoration, and plenty to give away!
I truly think they propagated themselves dropping their seeds and just naturally growing… Want to propagate myself this year so I can then plant them where wanted…
The hedge is GORGEOUS, did all by itself! Our soil n position seems to be perfect so am aiming at making more clumps for the large garden : now I know not to plant too close…they have become almost 60-70cm diam, bushes fm sickly little sticks!!!!
Your description of HOW TO, is the BEST and most COMPREHENSIVE and SIMPLE I have read so far!!! Thanks SO SO much !!!!!❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Amy Andrychowicz says
Fantastic, I’m so glad to hear your lavender is growing so well for you! Enjoy!
Sandra Stanley says
If growing lavender in pots make sure your drainage holes don’t become blocked with roots etc. This will drown your plant.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Great tip, thanks for sharing!
Gilmour, Deanna says
It sounds so easy to grow from clippings but I haven’t had any luck. They just die after a few weeks. They get moldy and die. I used hormones, put them in sand, covered with plastic wrap and kept them near a window. It was obvious that they were not doing well so I re-cut the stems higher up where it looked alive, used hormone again, bought a gro light ($200) and put them in a closet with a light bulb to keep them warm. I don’t know if this will work or not. I could start with new clippings? The plants are in Michigan and I could still take some if it’s not too late in the season?
Amy Andrychowicz says
Sorry to hear you haven’t been successful with propagating your lavender plant cuttings. It’s definitely best to take the cuttings in the spring or summer, rather than in the fall. Also, be sure your cuttings have a few leaf nodes exposed on the stem. Try both hardwood and softwood cuttings too, cause the hardwood cuttings can be more challenging to root. You could also try making your own propagation box to see if that helps. You say they are molding, so it sounds like maybe the soil is too wet. The soil should be moist, but not wet or soggy. And don’t water it until the cuttings show signs of new growth.
DEANNA R GILMOUR says
Thanks, I will try that.
Amy Andrychowicz says
You’re welcome. Good luck!
Chris Davis says
I live in Alabama (zone 8) and it gets hot and humid here in the south east. I grow them in pots and most Lavenders do well in my area except for the English Variety. The trick to growing them here with the humidity in mind, is to space them a couple of feet apart for air circulation to keep the foliage dry. Well draining soil is a must and I use 75% course sand with 25% coconut coir which is perfect for drainage. I am still experimenting with cuttings on my Lavandens (Grosso, Edelweiss, etc.), Phenominal, Silver Frost, and similar others. I haven’t gotten down the nack for rooting the cuttings before they end up dead or rotting but I am constantly working on it!! Just remember, don’t kill your Lavender with too much attention! They truly thrive on neglect!! Another thing, you need to prune the bushes now and then to prevent them from being tall and spindly!! After trimming, they will start to spread out a little and grow into a bush instead of the ugly non kept looking Lavender we do not really want to look at!!
Amy Andrychowicz says
Sounds like you’ve been busy experimenting with propagating lavender, and really getting the hang of it! Thanks for sharing all of your tips with us.