Lavender Varieties
Choosing the right lavender variety matters in northern gardens. At Pause Lavender Farm in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, we grow and evaluate lavender for cold winters, summer performance, fragrance, flower color, pollinator value, bouquets, culinary use, and garden form.
Shop Spring 2027 Lavender Plants
How lavender varieties differ
Lavender varieties are not all interchangeable. English lavenders (Lavandula angustifolia) are generally more compact and are often selected for fragrance, culinary use, borders, and northern gardens. Lavandins (Lavandula × intermedia) are typically larger plants with longer stems and abundant flowers that are especially useful for bouquets, drying, landscape plantings, and craft lavender.
Lavender varieties we grow and offer
Phenomenal® Lavender
Phenomenal® is one of our leading choices for northern gardens. It is a vigorous lavandin with long stems, abundant purple flowers, strong fragrance, and excellent landscape presence. We use it for pollinator plantings, bouquets, drying, and larger garden groupings.
Hidcote Lavender
Hidcote is a classic English lavender with deep purple-blue flowers, a compact habit, and a sweet traditional lavender fragrance. It is especially useful for borders, culinary gardens, smaller spaces, dried flowers, and northern gardens where drainage is excellent.
Provence Lavender
Provence is a highly fragrant lavandin known for long stems and soft lavender-purple flowers. It is a strong choice for fresh bouquets, dried arrangements, fragrant hedges, pollinator gardens, and floral work.
Munstead Lavender
Munstead is a compact English lavender commonly chosen for herb gardens, borders, culinary use, and smaller garden spaces. Its size and traditional fragrance make it a useful variety for home gardeners.
Grosso Lavender
Grosso is a vigorous lavandin valued for strong fragrance, long flower stems, dried lavender, crafts, bouquets, and mass plantings.
SuperBlue Lavender
SuperBlue is a compact English lavender with vivid blue-purple flowers. We value it for northern gardens, culinary lavender, pollinator plantings, and its tidy garden form.
Royal Velvet Lavender
Royal Velvet is an English lavender known for richly colored flowers and good stem quality. It is useful for bouquets, drying, culinary projects, and ornamental plantings.
Sensational Lavender
Sensational is a broad-leaved lavandin selected for strong growth, showy flower production, and landscape impact.
Melissa Lavender
Melissa is distinctive for its pale pink-to-white flowers and offers a softer color contrast among traditional purple lavenders.
Blue Spear Lavender
Blue Spear is a compact English lavender selected for upright flower spikes and strong blue-purple color.
Best lavender for Michigan gardens
In Michigan, variety choice is only part of the equation. Lavender needs full sun, excellent drainage, and protection from consistently wet soil. Winter moisture can be as challenging as winter cold. Raised planting areas, sandy or gravelly soil, and good airflow can improve long-term performance.
For more northern-growing guidance, see our Growing Lavender in Michigan and Growing Lavender in the Upper Peninsula guides.
Choosing lavender by use
| Goal | Varieties to consider |
|---|---|
| Cold-climate garden | Phenomenal®, Hidcote, Munstead, SuperBlue |
| Fresh and dried bouquets | Provence, Phenomenal®, Grosso, Royal Velvet |
| Culinary garden | Hidcote, Munstead, SuperBlue, Royal Velvet |
| Compact borders and smaller spaces | Hidcote, Munstead, SuperBlue, Blue Spear |
| Fragrant landscape planting | Phenomenal®, Provence, Grosso, Sensational |
| Color contrast | Melissa with purple-flowering varieties |
Spring 2027 lavender plant preorders
Pause Lavender Farm grows lavender in Rapid River on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Our Spring 2027 preorder includes multiple lavender varieties so gardeners can choose a single cultivar or build a mixed lavender garden.