Lavandula Sensational!®

Lavandula Sensational!®: Big Fat Spikes That Won't Lie Down

This lavandin has thick stems that refuse to flop, which is more backbone than most people bring to a group chat. Big, intensely fragrant violet spikes held bolt upright. IT DOES NOT BEND. IT DOES NOT APOLOGIZE.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Lavandula x intermedia 'Tesseract'
• Common Name: Lavandin, Lavender
• Series: Sensational!® is the trade name for the cultivar 'Tesseract'
• Height: 60–75 cm (24–30 in)
• Spread: 75–90 cm (30–36 in)
• Flowers: Large, intensely fragrant, deep violet-purple spikes on thick stems that resist bending
• Bloom Time: Midsummer into early fall (July to September)
• Foliage: Broad, silvery grey-green leaves forming a compact, upright mound
• Features: Tolerant of heat and humidity

Where to Plant: Use it where you want lavender that holds its shape: along a front walk, in a gravel garden, as a low hedge or in a large container. The strong stems also make it a good choice for a cutting and drying bed.

Companion Plants: Give Sensational!® a sunny, dry bed with blue-grey spurge, dark pink salvia and ruby coneflowers. Euphorbia myrsinites sprawls at the front at 15 to 20 cm with blue-grey leaves and chartreuse bracts in May and June. Salvia 'Pink Profusion' adds dark pink spikes at 36 to 41 cm from June to August. Echinacea Sunny Days™ 'Ruby' brings double ruby coneflowers at 45 to 60 cm from July to October. Panicum 'Heavy Metal' stands behind at 120 cm in flower with metallic blue-grey blades.

Plant Care: Plant in full sun in well-drained soil. Lean, sandy or gravelly soil keeps it compact and fragrant. Avoid low spots and heavy clay that stay wet through winter and spring thaw. Water regularly the first season, then only during long dry spells. Leave it standing for winter. In spring, once new growth shows, remove the old flower stems and lightly shape the plant, keeping above the woody base. Harvest spikes for drying as the first flowers open.

History: Sensational!® began as a branch sport spotted in 2015 by Lloyd Traven and Rick Grazzini of Peace Tree Farm in Pennsylvania, on a plant of their lavandin Phenomenal®. It was named Best in Show at the 2021 Farwest Show New Varieties Showcase in Portland, Oregon.

Final Thoughts: Cut an armful for the kitchen and the whole house smells like you have your life together. NOBODY NEEDS TO KNOW THE TRUTH.