How to Propagate Lavender from Cuttings for The Home Garden

Who wouldn’t want to make more lavender from cuttings? Lavender is a great perennial plant to have around the garden and is an easy one for home gardeners to propagate. Designers use it in knot gardens, formal gardens, or even in pots. It smells great when touched and also has insect repellent properties to help keep the bites at bay. Lavender is very simple to propagate through softwood cuttings in the spring through summer.

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Taking Cuttings of Lavender

Propagating lavender from cuttings is a very simple process. The cuttings here are from Lavendula augustifolia but other varieties can be propagated using the same method. Just pick a 4 inch cutting and strip the lower half of leaves off. Be careful when doing so because the soft stem can break and the cutting may not be suitable to use. Just be gentle. The picture below is a perfect example of what your lavender cutting should look like. Once you have the cutting pop it in a little jar of water so it doesn’t dry out any while you take your cuttings.

Rooting Hormone

I often use rooting hormone for many types of cuttings including lavender, but it isn’t necessary. Rooting hormone does speed the rooting process and makes them root more reliably. For the cuttings in this post I didn’t use rooting hormone and they rooted just fine. After I take the cutting (and dip in rooting hormone if using it) I place the cut end in the rooting medium. In this case I used an organic garden soil mix. These days I’m using a 50/50 mix of coir (from coconuts) and sand for a rooting medium and I really like how it works.

Cover the Cuttings to Maintain Moisture

After sticking the cuttings in the soil I covered it with a cloche. A cloche is essentially a humidity dome to help the plants retain moisture. For the cloche I cut the bottom off of a juice bottle that happened to have the same circumference of the interior the pot I was using.

Then I watered and waited. I also placed the cutting in a plant tray that would hold water. Essentially I bottom watered the cuttings throughout the process. I opened the cloche a few times but not very often. The majority of the watering happened from the bottom. If your cuttings are staying too moist take the lid of the container off. Also NEVER put the cloche in sunlight. You want indirect light like the kind of light you have under a nice shade tree. Direct sunlight will cook your cuttings.

Lavender Rooting

In about 6 weeks I checked the roots and discovered that 5 of 6 cuttings rooted. 3 of the lavender cuttings rooted great with 1 inch little root balls that formed. 2 of the lavender cuttings had roots but were not very extensive. I potted all six cuttings into larger pots and put back in the greenhouse for a while. Be careful when potting them up do not disturb the roots or remove the rooting medium you used. Breaking the roots while transplanting may slow growth.

Some Helpful Tips for Rooting Lavender

• If the cuttings you have available have flower buds on the tips pinch them off. You don’t want energy taken away from rooting.
• The cloche helps keep humidity present around the cuttings. If a cutting dries out that can be the death of it. If you don’t have a plastic bottle to use a plastic bag will work.
• I didn’t use any rooting hormone but it may have improved rooting if I had.

Taking cuttings can be a lot of fun. Especially when you can save money on filling your garden with plants! See more on plant propagation.

Can you Propagate Lavender Cuttings in Water?

What Other Methods are used to Propagate Lavender?

Layering Lavender

You could also try layering lavender branches. Layering is where you root the stem of the plant by laying it on the soil and pinning it. A rock or brick can be used to hold the branch in place. Once roots have formed on the branch you can sever the branch from the stem and pot it or plant it.

Growing Lavender from Seeds

Lavender grows well from seeds and this is a great way to add varieties you have trouble finding locally to your garden.

Growing Lavender

Lavender is a fairly trouble free plant if you give it the right conditions. Lavender likes a full sun location and well drained soil. Avoid planting lavender in full shade but it can tolerate partial shade. It just won’t bloom as well in the partial shade as it would in the sun.

Lavender is a herb/perennial that does very well in pots and can survive some dry periods just fine. In other words it is drought tolerant. Avoid boggy and wet soils as they can induce rot to the plant roots.

Lavender has been hybridized by many breeders over the years. L. augustifolia (English lavender), L. stoechas (Spanish Lavender), Lavandula x intermedia (Lavandin) are three of the more common species of lavender and flower at different times.

Uses for Lavender

Lavender has a lot of uses around the home including potpourri, cut flowers, dried sachets, soap, scented satchels and pillows, essential oils, and even in the kitchen. As a cooking herb lavender leaves may be used as rosemary and are often used when cooking lamb. The flowers can be used in deserts!

Pruning Lavender

Lavender can be pruned regularly after the flowers are produced to enjoy. You can cut the flowers then give the lavender a trim or you can wait until the flowers have finished blooming and cut them after that. This will happen about twice per season, once in the spring and once in the late summer.

Lavender Attracts Pollinators

Bees flock to the lavender when it is in bloom and the butterflies are soon to follow. It’s a great plant in my garden since I want to attract as many pollinators as possible. As an added bonus the deer don’t enjoy it and leave it alone.

Lavender Growing Guide

Botanical Name	Lavandula spp.
Common Names	Lavender, English Lavender, French Lavender, Spanish Lavender
USDA Hardiness Zones	5–9 (varies by species)
Sun Requirements	Full sun (6–8+ hours of direct sunlight daily)
Water Needs	Low; drought-tolerant once established. Water deeply but infrequently.
Soil Requirements	Well-draining soil; sandy or rocky loam preferred; pH 6.5–8.0
Mature Size	12–36″ tall and wide, depending on variety
Bloom Time	Late spring to early summer (some rebloom into fall with deadheading)
Growth Habit	Bushy, mounding perennial or subshrub
Fertilizer Needs	Minimal; avoid rich soil and high nitrogen to prevent legginess
Pruning Tips	Light prune after flowering; cut back by one-third in early spring
Propagation Methods	Softwood cuttings, hardwood cuttings, division (rare), seeds (less reliable)
Pests/Diseases	Generally pest-free; root rot if overwatered
Companion Plants	Rosemary, sage, thyme, echinacea, ornamental grasses
Pollinator Friendly?	Yes. Excellent for bees and butterflies
Deer Resistant?	Yes

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