Desert lavender

Year-round

Desert lavender is a fast growing evergreen shrub built for hot, dry desert washes in the Mojave and Sonoran deserts, not for the LA basin itself. Give it a full sun spot with fast draining soil and treat it like a true desert plant rather than a coastal one.

• Give it full sun and soil that drains fast, such as a raised bed, a slope, or native soil worked with extra sand or gravel.
• Water deeply but rarely once established. It comes from desert washes that stay dry most of the year.
• This plant is not native to the LA basin. It grows naturally in low desert washes of the south Mojave and Sonoran deserts in southeast California, so LA's cooler, wetter climate is a stretch for it, not its home ground.
• Purple flower spikes bloom over a long season and bring in hummingbirds and bees.
• Skip rich potting mix or heavy fertilizer. Lean, gritty soil is closer to what it grows in naturally.

Fall

Fall is a good time to shape desert lavender as bloom slows and before winter rain returns.

• Prune lightly to control size and remove leggy growth. Fast growers like this one can get rangy without an occasional trim.
• Ease off supplemental water as temperatures drop and any rain returns.
• This is a good window to double check drainage before LA's wetter months, since the plant's native desert washes stay dry most of the year.

A fall trim keeps the shrub's shape neat and HOA-conscious before winter.

Winter

Winter is the riskiest season for desert lavender in LA, since it comes from desert washes that see far less winter rain than the LA basin does.

• Do not add supplemental water in winter. Let rain be the only water it gets, and only where the soil drains fast.
• Watch for root rot signs, like blackened stems or dropped leaves, if the planting spot holds water after storms.
• It tolerates occasional light frost down to around 10 degrees Fahrenheit in its native range, so LA's mild winters are usually not a concern for cold.
• If growth looks leggy, a light winter shaping keeps the silhouette tidy without stressing the plant before spring.

A tidy winter silhouette from light shaping reads as HOA-friendly, especially in a front yard bed.

Spring

Spring is prime growing time for desert lavender. New growth pushes out and flowering often starts, drawing in bees and hummingbirds.

• Check that the soil stayed well drained through LA's winter rain. If the base looks soggy or leaves have yellowed, improve drainage before summer heat arrives.
• Trim back any winter dieback or leggy stems now while the plant is actively growing.
• Hold off on heavy fertilizer. A light feeding is plenty for a plant used to lean desert soil.
• Bloom typically runs from spring into fall, so expect hummingbird and bee visits starting now.

A light spring shaping keeps the shrub tidy and HOA-friendly heading into its main growing season.

Summer

Summer heat is when desert lavender does its best work. It is built for hot, dry desert summers and keeps blooming through the season.

• Water deeply but infrequently. Let the soil dry out between waterings rather than keeping it moist.
• Full sun and reflected heat from pavement or walls are fine for this plant, unlike many coastal-climate shrubs.
• Watch for stress signs like wilting mainly if the planting spot has heavy clay soil that holds water. That is the main way LA's climate differs from its native desert washes.
• Flower spikes keep attracting bees and hummingbirds through summer.