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
• Plant Patent: USPP 31,786

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: Achillea 'Little Moonshine' brings flat yellow heads at 30 to 35 cm from June to September, a cheerful contrast to the purple wands. Tuck Eryngium 'Blue Hobbit' nearby for spiky blue flowers at 25 to 30 cm through summer. At the back, Andropogon gerardii climbs to 120 to 200 cm and flowers from August to October, giving the planting a tall prairie backdrop. All three want full sun, just like the lavender.

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.