Lavandula 'Ellagance Purple'

Lavandula 'Ellagance Purple': Compact Purple Lavender That Blooms Year One

Deep violet-purple spikes on a compact mound, and it blooms the very first year. 'Ellagance Purple' skipped the awkward phase entirely and went STRAIGHT TO HEADSHOTS.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Lavandula angustifolia 'Ellagance Purple'
• Common Name: English Lavender
• Height: 30–36 cm (12–14 in)
• Spread: 25–30 cm (10–12 in)
• Flowers: Fragrant, deep violet-purple flowers on dense spikes
• Bloom Time: Early to late summer (June to August)
• Foliage: Narrow, aromatic, grey-green leaves on a compact, bushy mound
• Features: Fragrant, compact, first-year flowering, rabbit resistant

Where to Plant: It's tidy enough for formal edging, low hedges along a walk, containers and herb gardens. Mass it in a sunny, dry bed for a sea of purple, tuck it into a rock garden, or grow it for fresh and dried bouquets.

Companion Plants: Geum TEMPO™ 'Rose' opens pink flowers from April to June, so the bed is already colourful before the lavender starts. Anaphalis margaritacea 'New Snow' picks up in July with white flowers at 45 to 60 cm that cool down the deep purple. For height, set Pennisetum Prairie Winds® 'Lemon Squeeze' behind at 90 to 105 cm, its soft grassy form flowering from July to October. It's an easy sunny planting with something going on from spring to fall.

Plant Care: Plant in full sun in lean, very well-drained soil. Wet feet in winter do more damage than cold, so in clay soil use a raised bed or work in plenty of grit. Don't add rich compost or fertilizer. Water regularly through the first season, then only in long dry spells. Leave the plant standing over winter. In spring, after new growth appears, prune lightly, no more than about 10 cm (4 in), and don't cut into bare wood. A quick trim after the first flush of flowers keeps the mound compact. Lavender doesn't divide well. In zone 5, a sheltered spot with reliable snow cover gives it the best chance, and older woody plants can simply be replaced.

History: 'Ellagance Purple' is a seed-grown lavender from Kieft Seeds in the Netherlands, bred to be compact and to flower in its first year, and it won a Fleuroselect Gold Medal. Its species, Lavandula angustifolia, is native to the western Mediterranean.

Final Thoughts: Deer and rabbit resistant, drought tolerant once established and swarmed by bees and butterflies. Plant it this year, enjoy it this year. INSTANT GRATIFICATION, LEGALLY.