English, Spanish and lavandin: which lavender handles Victor Valley heat and cold, and how to water and prune it.
Get a Free Planting PlanLavender grows well in the High Desert if it gets full sun, fast drainage and the right amount of water. Our alkaline, sandy soil suits it, and English lavender and lavandin handle Victor Valley winters. Root rot from wet soil is its main disease, so good lavender care here comes down to fast drainage and steady, measured drip.
Top photo: Photo: Валерія Матвєєва, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Perennial · Lavandula spp. · Also called English Lavender, Spanish Lavender, French Lavender, Lavandin, Provence Lavender, Common Lavender · Native to the Mediterranean region
| Lavender at a glance in the High Desert | |
|---|---|
| Type and size at maturity | Evergreen mounding shrub, 3 to 4 ft wide and high (English lavender) [1] |
| Water once established | Moderate (WUCOLS IV, Region 5, High and Intermediate Desert: M) [2] |
| Sun | Full sun [4] |
| Cold hardiness | English lavender hardy to USDA Zone 5. Spanish and French types are not cold hardy in Colorado [3] |
| Heat | Heat tolerant; many varieties tolerate reflected heat. Spanish lavender is heat and drought tolerant [6] |
| Soil | Dry to medium, well-drained, alkaline soil; prefers light, sandy soil of low fertility [4] |
| Bloom | Purple flower spikes, June to August (English lavender) [4] |
| Evergreen or deciduous | Evergreen [1] |
| Pets | Toxic to dogs, cats and horses (ASPCA, Lavandula angustifolia) [7] |
| Wildlife | Bees are the main pollinator; butterflies and moths also visit [6] |
| Rabbits and deer | Tolerates rabbits and deer [4] |
| Where it fits | Accent plant, rounded hedge row or rock garden. On the county guide’s fire-retardant plant list [1] |
Nurseries sell three main groups, and they do not behave the same in our climate.
What that means here: the Victor Valley is USDA zone 8b, with average coldest nights of 15F to 20F and record lows near 0F. English lavender and lavandin clear that easily. Spanish and French lavender take summer heat better but have less cold margin. Plant those in a warm, sheltered spot, such as against a south wall, and accept that a hard winter may set them back. We did not find a university trial that ranks lavender types for the Mojave specifically.
Lavender wants what much of the High Desert already has. The Missouri Botanical Garden says to grow it in average, dry to medium, well-drained, alkaline soil, and that it prefers light, sandy soil with low fertility. CSU Extension says it grows best in slightly alkaline soil. So do not add lime, and go easy on compost and fertilizer.
Drainage is the part to get right. Root rot commonly attacks lavender in poorly drained soil, per the Missouri Botanical Garden, and UC IPM lists Phytophthora root and crown rot as its main disease. Caliche can turn a planting hole into a bathtub. Dig a test hole and fill it with water; if it is still full the next day, break through the hard layer or plant on a raised mound. Our High Desert soils guide covers caliche.
WUCOLS IV rates lavender Moderate for Region 5, the High and Intermediate Desert. That is more water than it needs on the coast, where WUCOLS rates it Low. With about 5.57 inches of rain a year in Victorville, lavender here will not live on rainfall.
Use drip, not overhead spray. UC Marin Master Gardeners say overhead watering can damage the plant, and they suggest letting the top three to four inches of soil dry before you water again. Yellowing leaves are a common sign of too much water. CSU Extension’s schedule, written for a similar dry climate, is to water once or twice a week right after planting until plants are established, then every two to three weeks until buds form. CSU also warns that the root zone should not dry out completely during winter, which matters in a dry Mojave winter with no rain for weeks. Our irrigation guide explains how to set a separate drip zone for moderate-water plants.
Pruning keeps lavender from turning woody and splitting open. CSU Extension says to prune in spring when green leaves start to emerge from the base, removing about a third of the top. UC Marin Master Gardeners add a firm rule: never cut into the old woody stems, because lavender does not regrow from bare wood. The Missouri Botanical Garden suggests a harder cut, to about 8 inches, every third spring to keep plants compact.
Pets: the ASPCA lists lavender as toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Signs include nausea and vomiting. Keep it out of runs where a dog chews on plants.
The county guide suggests English lavender as an accent plant, a rounded hedge row or in rock gardens. It also puts Lavandula on its fire-retardant plant list. That does not make it fireproof; any plant burns when dry enough, so keep it watered and trimmed near the house.
The county guide says to prune off dried flower stalks. Leave a few if you like; UC Master Gardeners in Stanislaus County note that finches and sparrows eat the seeds. Bees are the main visitors while it blooms, per UC Marin Master Gardeners, so set it a few feet back from doors you use every day.
Prune when new green leaves appear at the base, taking off about a third. Do not cut into bare wood. Check drip emitters before the heat arrives.
Water deeply by drip, letting the top few inches dry between waterings. Snip spent flower stalks to keep blooms coming.
A good planting window. Lightly shape plants after the last bloom and cut back on water as nights cool.
Water occasionally during long dry spells so the roots do not dry out completely. Keep mulch pulled back from the crown.
Partly. WUCOLS IV rates it Moderate water for the High and Intermediate Desert, so it needs regular drip irrigation here. Spanish lavender is the most heat and drought tolerant of the common types.
English lavender is hardy to USDA Zone 5, according to CSU Extension, well below Victorville’s record lows near 0F. Spanish and French lavender are less cold hardy.
No. The ASPCA lists lavender as toxic to dogs, cats and horses, with signs like nausea and vomiting. Call your vet or ASPCA Poison Control if a pet eats it.
In spring, when green leaves start to emerge at the base. Remove about a third of the top, and never cut into the old woody stems.
Plant in spring after the last frost, around mid-March to mid-April in Victorville, or in early fall. Use fast-draining soil and full sun.
We checked every number on this page against the public sources below. If a rule or date changes, the agency page is the final word.
Monarch designs and installs rockscape, drip irrigation and drought-tolerant plantings across the High Desert. We will check sun, wind and soil on your lot and tell you where a plant will do well and where it will struggle.
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