Upscale homes and businesses commonly use lavender as a decorative plant because of its pleasant scent and lovely purple flowers.
Lavender is also the state flower for quite a few states, such as South Dakota and Colorado.
But can you plant lavender with wildflowers? Yes, you certainly can plant lavender with wildflowers.
Oftentimes, lavender is planted with wildflowers that bear a similar color and can contribute to the overall fragrance of the area.
Determining whether or not to plant lavender with wildflowers comes down to the homeowners preferences and the types of flowers planted.
Wildflowers may not grow well with most ornamental plants; however, they can coexist if certain conditions are met.
Apart from keeping in mind the necessary requirements for planting both types of vegetation together, as a homeowner, feel free to consider your personal preferences as well.
Let’s find out…
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Balancing property needs
Before you make your decision on planting lavender with wildflowers, it is important to balance the needs of both plants.
Lavender requires six hours or more of direct sunlight every day.
If your home does not receive this much consistent sunlight, you will need to plant lavender in an area where it can be assured that full sun exposure will occur for most of the day.
In addition to sunlight, lavender needs soil that drains well and is not water-logged for six months out of the year.
If your yard has the proper conditions to support both types of plants, you can plant lavender in a section of your yard and wildflowers in another area.
Planting the flowering plants in a different area of the yard may help prevent them from crowding out the lavender.
This way, each plant will have access to the appropriate growing conditions it needs without being harmed by the other plant.
Benefits of lavender plants
Habitat and appearance
Lavender plants are perennial flowers that usually grow to a height of three feet.
Since lavender plants are so abundant in nature, they make for a great habitat for various creatures, including butterflies and bees.
Lavender plants are also recognized for their ability to repel harmful insects.
Many gardeners plant lavender around their homes to ward off insects, particularly mosquitoes.
Edible benefits
In addition to being a beautiful flower that can be planted near homes, lavender plants offer people another beneficial use.
Lavender can be used to create lavender honey, which tastes like normal honey, but with a subtle lavender flavor.
Lavender flowers also make for wonderful savory dishes, such as Lavender Butter Chicken, which combines the flavor of lavender with a delicious sauce.
Wildflower benefits
Lavender plants are typically used as a decorative flower that can help control insect populations.
However, lavender plants also have a positive effect on wildflowers that surround them.
Lavender flowers can be beneficial for wildflowers because they attract pollinators.
Since lavender produces such an abundance of flowers, many pollinating insects and bees visit the plant on a daily basis.
This means that lavender plants not only help control insect populations, but also offer a better environment for other wildflowers to grow and be healthy.
This post was helpful in explaining how to plant lavender with wildflowers and the different benefits of both plants.
Can you plant lavender with wildflowers?
Evaluating the pros and cons of planting lavender with other plants is necessary before making a decision.
When lavender is planted with other ornamental plants, it can be beneficial to its neighbor in several ways, but also harm them in some instances.
Lavender releases oils that repel garden pests such as beetles, slugs, and aphids.
In addition, lavender can also attract bees and butterflies to your yard and garden, which helps in pollination of surrounding plants – an ecosystem service provided by many flowering plants.
With that said, lavender has a tendency to grow very quickly and can outgrow some ornamental plants if not kept in check; however, when planted together with other ornamental plants, lavender can provide a great amount of shade that some older flower varieties may appreciate.
According to a study on the seedling life stage of bay lavender, Tournefortia gnaphalodes species can grow 8 cm in height and produce 58 fresh leaves within a period of one month.
While a plant of this stature can provide a very generous amount of shade, its rapid growth is something that should be considered prior to planting.
Low-growing wildflowers like mountain bluet and snowberry would not be able to compete with the tall, bushy lavender species.
Wildflower seeds may also struggle when attempting to grow around the shallow roots of lavender.
On the other hand, lavender is susceptible to spider mites and hornets which makes it difficult for the plants to thrive in areas where they are infested with these pests.
Culinary lavender is not typically grown in home gardens, which means homeowners may unintentionally harm surrounding plants when trying to kill the pests on their lavender.
Sagebrush steppe ecosystems are especially susceptible to thrips, which is also one of the main pests that infests lavender plants.
Also, full-sun lavender species such as Lavandula angustifolia and Lavandula x allardii should be planted in locations where they will not be exposed to cold winters or freezing nights as this can cause significant damage and loss of life for the plants.
While lavender is a great companion plant, the amount of care required to keep lavender alive can detract from the benefits lavender provides for ornamental plants.
If you want a plant that can provide a generous amount of shade for your plants and repel garden pests, lavender makes the perfect companion plant.
However, if you are planning on planting lavender in your landscape or garden, consider that it can also harm ornamental plants by crowding them out and requiring a high amount of care from the owner.
On the contrary, some ornamental varieties of mint or impatiens may harm lavender by stealing the water and nutrients needed to keep lavender healthy.
Lavender is a good companion for which plants?
To best accommodate both ornamental plants, it is best to plant lavender far away from other ornamental plants.
Although, if you want a plant that can provide a generous amount of shade for your plants and repel garden pests, lavender makes the perfect companion plant.
Named for its beautiful lavender flowers, Lavandula angustifolia is commonly known as English Lavender. This hardy plant can grow up to 18 inches high, with silvery-gray and green foliage that often looks coated in powder. Some gardeners use them to attract butterflies and hummingbirds, while others use it to repel insects.
Regardless of your use case, here are some plants that make great companionship with lavender.
1. Echinacea
Oftentimes referred to as the purple coneflower, this plant attracts pollinators and is a popular addition to any garden.
2. Roses
Pruning your lavender to avoid overcrowding will leave you with plenty of room for roses.
3. Yarrow
Drought tolerating plants that provide a lot of color like yarrow make great companionship with lavender.
4. Sedum
With its beautiful flowers and ability to add height, sedum should be at the top of your list when looking for companions for lavender.
