About
Lavandula stoechas LaVela Compact Dark Violet ('Klelv15115'PBR) is a compact form of Spanish lavender selected for its dark-violet topped bracts. It is an evergreen shrub that typically stays under 1 metre and carries silver-grey, tomentose leaves. Flowering runs from June to September, when the elongated bracts sit above the flower spikes. The dense crown of bracts gives prolonged colour through the summer months.
About the genus
Lavandula is a genus of 47 known species of perennial flowering plants in the sage family, Lamiaceae. It is native to the Old World, primarily found across the drier, warmer regions of the Mediterranean, with an affinity for maritime breezes.
Wikipedia contributors, "Lavandula", CC BY-SA 4.0 — Lavandula
In the garden
A member of the Lamiaceae, Lavandula stoechas LaVela Compact Dark Violet ('Klelv15115'PBR) traces its ancestry to the Mediterranean Basin and shows the species' characteristic topped inflorescences; the cultivar concentrates those traits into a more compact habit. Plants usually remain below 1 metre, with grey, tomentose leaves beneath a mass of dark-violet bracts that crown the flower spikes from June to September. Sit this lavender in the warmest, sunniest spot you can provide and ensure the soil drains freely; Mediterranean origins favour positions that avoid waterlogging. Positioning on a south- or west-facing border, a gravel bed or a raised bed helps keep roots dry and encourages the best colour from the bracts. Light feeding in spring and a trim after flowering will keep the plant compact and prevent woodiness. Its size and habit suit containers and small borders where the dark-violet crowns read clearly at eye level. Use it where its summer-till-autumn bracts can be seen close-up — beside paths, at the front of sunny mixed borders or in structured gravel gardens — and note the distinctive topped bracts extend interest beyond the individual blooms.
More in the Lavandula genus
- Lavandula angustifolia 'Torramhor'Lavender
- Lavandula dentata 'Evermlv19'Fringed Lavender
- Lavandula stoechas 'Giant Summer' (Butterfly Garden Series)
- Lavandula stoechas 'Sweetberry Ruffles' (Ruffles Series)French lavender 'Sweetberry Ruffles'
- Lavandula angustifolia subsp. angustifoliaEnglish lavender
- Lavandula x ginginsii 'Downderry Velvet'
- Lavandula x int. 'Edelweiss'Lavender
- Lavandula x int. 'Grappenhall'Lavender