A lavender tree is a stunning tall lavender plant with aromatic gray-green leaves and clusters of fragrant purple flowers on upright branches. The plant, sometimes known as lavender topiary, is a conventional lavender shrub that has been trained to grow as a tree. Indoor or outdoor potting of lavender trees is perfect. A lavender tree fills rooms or gardens with heavenly scents and lovely purple and green hues as it grows tall in pots.
Pruning a potted lavender tree on a regular basis is necessary, but it requires little attention. The bushy lavender tree thrives in partial sunlight, minimal watering, and average soil conditions. Its upward-growing leafy stems and purple blooms are gorgeous. As a result, if you have these aspects correct, caring for a lavender tree is quite simple.
This is a thorough guide to lavender plant cultivation at home or in the yard. Caring for a potted lavender topiary tree so that it lasts for many years is also discussed in this article.
What is a Lavender Tree (Lavender Topiary)?
The traditional lavender shrub is trained to grow tall as a ‘tree,’ and it’s a classic lavender shrub. To make lavender trees that develop in pots, lavender topiary fans often utilize Spanish lavender. Lavender trees may reach a height of 2 to 3 feet (0.6 to 1 meter).
The purple blooming tree, on the other hand, may appear to be taller depending on the pot size. The bushy lavender crown may be up to 2 feet (0.6 meters) broad. Picking off fragrant leafy stems and purple blooming spikes, on the other hand, may help to control its growth.
A lavender tree has a grayish-green slender lavender crown and a bare wooden stem. The lavender tree produces a profusion of purple or lilac conical or cylindrical spikes on tall stems when it blooms. A lavender tree may grow for up to five years if you care for it properly.
The classic lavender shrub’s benefits—beauty, fragrance, and lovely purple or lilac blooms—are available to you when you grow a lavender tree. Nevertheless, for container gardens, patios, balconies, or beside a sunny window indoors, a lavender tree is more versatile and ideal.
Lavender trees are purple-leaved perennial plants that flourish year after year. Lavender trees are seen outdoors all year in USDA zones 7 through 9. In colder climates, Spanish lavender trees don’t thrive. As a result, to avoid frost damage, the low-maintenance shrub may need to be overwintered indoors.
How to Grow a Lavender Topiary Tree
Buying a tiny plant from a nursery and pruning the stems to create a tree-like structure is the simplest way to grow a lavender tree. You should form a tree by removing the side branches and leaving the strongest central branch. By growing the tree from cuttings, you may also begin lavender topiary.
Trim the plant’s lower side shoots and stems to begin lavender tree growth. The main shoot or stem with leafy growth higher up should be left after that. Next, tie the little lavender tree to a bamboo supporting cane placed in the pot.
After trimming the lavender plant into a tree shape, it needs to be cared for properly in order to develop into a two or three-foot tree. The pot for a lavender tree should be 2″ (5 cm) bigger than the root ball, with drainage holes. This protects the lavender tree’s roots from becoming too wet.
How to Care for a Lavender Tree
In well-draining soil with perlite added for extra drainage, grow a lavender tree. Place the lavender tree pot in full sun, preferably indoors or outdoors, so it receives at least six hours of sunlight daily. When the top 1 in. (2.5 cm) of soil is dry, water the potting mix.
Regular pruning is also part of regular lavender tree care. You must trim the stems of trees that begin to droop down after they’ve been planted in a pot. Cutting back a few inches of stems but avoiding cutting any woody parts can also help encourage bushier growth.
Growing Potted Lavender Tree Indoors
Grow the potted lavender plant near a window that receives four hours of direct sunlight every day to care for a lavender tree indoors. Water the lavender tree when the top layer of soil dries, and plant it in well-draining, loamy potting mix. For optimum growth, keep humidity low and maintain a room temperature of 70 degrees.
For growing a lavender tree in a pot at home, follow these guidelines:
- Keep room temperatures between 65°F and 70°F (18°C – 21°C).
- Ensure humidity is below 40 percent.
- Provide plenty of air circulation.
- Use a slow-release fertilizer once a year in the spring.
- Never allow the soil to dry completely out or become too soggy.
Caring For Lavender Tree Outdoors
Place the plant in a sunny location where it receives six to eight hours of sunlight to develop a potted lavender tree outdoors. Add a tablespoon of lime to a sandy potting mix that drains quickly. When the top 1″ (2.5 cm) of the soil is dry, inspect it frequently and water thoroughly.
A lavender tree will thrive in the ground if you live in zones 7 to 10. A raised bed is beneficial for growing a lavender tree, and the planting region must be well-draining. The soil should be low to moderately fertile, with a slight alkaline pH. Just water the lavender tree enough to keep the soil moist, but not too wet.
How to Overwinter Lavender Tree Indoors & Outdoors
During harsh winters, it’s customary to bring the potted lavender plant inside. The heat is optimum for lavender growth. As a result, you’ll need to overwinter a lavender tree indoors in colder climates, zones 6 and below.
Bring the potted lavender tree inside for a few hours and put it near a sunny window when the outside daytime temperature drops below 60°F (15°C). Repeat this cycle for seven days, gradually extending the duration. The tree responds to changing circumstances by adjusting. After a week, you may bring the lavender plant inside and keep it in a sunny area.
Just water the plant occasionally to keep it alive during overwintering indoors. The purpose is to ensure that the potting soil does not completely dry. To ensure adequate light and air, you should also rotate the plant by a quarter every week. You can begin to acclimate the lavender tree by bringing it outdoors in the spring, once the danger of frost has passed. Each day for a few hours, take the potted lavender plant outside and put it in a sunny location. Do not let the wind blow on it. You may remove the lavender plant from the bath after a week.
Lavender Tree Care Guide
Let’s take a closer look at how to maintain a lavender tree.
Where to Grow Lavender Topiary Tree
Lavender thrives in sunny, dry climates and requires a lot of sunlight to grow. Consider the brightest part of your house or garden when deciding where to place a lavender tree. Leggy development and no flowers will occur if there is too much shade. Air circulation is another factor to consider when selecting the best location for a lavender topiary tree. Make sure there is plenty of air circulation around the plant to prevent foliar fungal growth or other humidity-related problems.
Where to grow a lavender tree indoors: Position the potted lavender plant to get four hours of sunlight beside a south-facing or west-facing window. Temperatures should be at least 70°F (21°C) during the day and between 50°F and 55°F (10°C – 13°C) at night, in order to ensure the room is well-ventilated.
Where to grow a lavender tree outdoors: In the brightest portion of your garden, place the lavender tree pot. You shouldn’t have to worry about humidity as long as the foliage has enough air circulation. Nonetheless, in warm, humid conditions, make sure there is plenty of air around the plant.
The Best Potting Mix for Growing a Lavender Tree
A well-drained, loamy or sandy soil with a slight alkaline pH is ideal for growing lavender trees. One part gravel and one part perlite are used to combine two parts of potting soil. Next, create an alkaline blend by adding a tablespoon of garden lime. The soil conditions where lavender plants thrive are similar to this kind of potting soil.
When to Plant a Lavender Tree
Mid-spring is the optimum time to plant a lavender tree in the earth. Throughout April and May, you may move a lavender tree from its pot to the garden. The ground is warm enough at this point that the roots can establish themselves. You must also make sure the soil is well-draining, apart from placing in a sunny location.
Dig a hole 12 inches (30 cm) deep and broad to determine if the soil is appropriate for a lavender tree. Fill it with water, then let it drain. Fill the hole with water and observe how quickly it drains after 12 hours. The location is appropriate for a lavender tree if the water vanishes over two to three hours.
How to Water Lavender Tree
When the potting soil is somewhat dry, pouring water into the potting soil is the optimum way to water a lavender tree. watering a lavender topiary tree is to ensure that the soil remains consistently wet, but not too wet. Insert a finger into the soil to see if it’s suitable.
You may water the lavender tree if the soil is dry to a depth of 1 inch (2.5 cm). Overwatering a lavender tree and letting the soil dry out are the two worst watering mistakes to make. Root rot will occur if there is too much water, and your lovely tree will perish. Yellow lavender leaves and feeble development will occur if there isn’t enough water.
Top tip when watering a lavender tree outside: Outside, lavender plants in pots dry out faster than those at home. As a result, during hot weather, you should check the potting soil frequently and water as necessary.
Pruning a Lavender Topiary Tree
Regular pruning is required for good lavender topiary tree care. To encourage bushy development and abundant blooming, prune back about a third of the stems each spring. Furthermore, to maintain the tree-like appearance, lavender stems are trimmed to hang downwards. Lavender tree stems hang down naturally, which is the case.
Here are a few pruning tips for growing a lavender tree:
- The tree will fail to create new stems if you cut into woody growth.
- It’s a good idea to deadhead lavender flowers. First, you can use them in cut flower arrangements or dry them for potpourri because they are beautiful aromatic flowers. Second, a second bloom is encouraged by trimming off spent lavender tree blooms.
Fertilizing a Lavender Tree
In poor to moderately fertile soil, lavender trees in pots flourish. A lavender plant can thrive without additional nutrients if the tree receives enough sunlight and occasional watering. In order to encourage healthy growth, however, you may apply a diluted fertilizer in early spring and late fall. Flowering is inhibited and leafy growth is encouraged when too much fertilizer is applied to a potted lavender tree.
Repotting a Lavender Tree
You don’t have to repot a lavender tree frequently because it performs well when slightly rootbound. Instead, lavender trees may be repotted every two or three years. Always replace the potting mix with well-draining, slightly alkaline soil when repotting a lavender topiary tree. Also, consider purchasing a new pot that is 1″ or 2″ (2.5 cm) larger than the one you have now.
Choosing a solid pot that can support the weight of lavender trees is important, since they can become top-heavy. Therefore, choose a strong clay or terracotta cache pot to support a 3-foot (1 m) lavender tree from falling over. Next, place the planting pot inside the bigger and heavier pot.