How to Grow Lavender from Cuttings and Seed

Cuttings are the easiest and most reliable way to grow more lavender: they root in about 3–6 weeks and give plants identical to the parent. Lavender from seed is cheaper but slower, germination is uneven, and named varieties do not come true.

Taking Cuttings

1. When: softwood cuttings in spring, semi-ripe cuttings in late summer after flowering.
2. Cut 8–10 cm (3–4 in) non-flowering shoots, ideally pulled off with a small "heel" of older wood.
3. Strip the lower leaves, leaving the top third.
4. Dip in rooting hormone (optional but helpful).
5. Insert into a gritty mix (half perlite or sand, half seed compost) around the edge of a pot.
6. Keep in bright, indirect light and just moist; avoid a sealed bag, which causes rot.
7. Pot up individually when roots appear, then plant out the following spring.

Layering

Bend a low stem to the ground, scrape a little bark underneath, pin it into the soil and cover. It roots in a few months and can then be cut from the parent.

Growing Lavender from Seed

1. Mix seed with damp sand and refrigerate for 3–4 weeks (cold stratification).
2. Sow on the surface of seed compost in late winter; press lightly, do not cover deeply.
3. Keep at 15–21 °C (60–70 °F) in good light.
4. Germination takes 2–4 weeks and can be erratic.
5. Prick out seedlings and grow on; they flower in their second year.

More Lavender Guides

• How to Grow Lavender: The Complete Guide
• How often to water lavender
• How to prune lavender
• Why lavender dies

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you root lavender cuttings in water?

Sometimes, but they often rot; a gritty, free-draining mix works much better.

How long do lavender cuttings take to root?

Usually 3–6 weeks.

Is lavender hard to grow from seed?

It is slow and uneven; cold stratification improves germination.