English lavender vs English lavender 'Hidcote'

English lavender and English lavender 'Hidcote' are often considered for the same spot in the garden (hedge, flowers, pollinator friendly, container). The data below shows where they differ: size, hardiness, care, toxicity and price.

English lavender

Lavandula angustifolia 60 cm × 80 cm after 10 years

An evergreen, grey-leaved, scented subshrub covered for weeks in early summer with purple, blue, pink or white flower spikes that bees and butterflies…

Perennial

Full sun

from about CZK 83

English lavender 'Hidcote'

Lavandula angustifolia 'Hidcote' 60 cm × 50 cm after 10 years

'Hidcote' forms a compact mound of silvery foliage topped with fragrant, dark-purple flowers that attract bees. It works well along sunny borders,…

Perennial

Full sun

from about CZK 49

Key differences

English lavender spreads wider: 60 cm × 80 cm after ten years, against 60 cm × 50 cm for English lavender 'Hidcote' (an estimate: sources differ).
English lavender 'Hidcote' needs less care than English lavender.

Which one to choose?

English lavender 'Hidcote' is the better choice if you have little time for care.

Watch out for

English lavender

The usual failure is root rot: in winter wet, on heavy clay or when overwatered the plants die out in patches. In hard frost without snow cover, especially in wet soil, it can be cut back or killed. Left unpruned it becomes bare and splits open, and it cannot be renewed from old wood, so expect to replace plants after about ten years. Leaf spot and spittlebugs occur but rarely do serious harm.

English lavender 'Hidcote'

In Central Europe, waterlogging and wet winter soil are important causes of root rot and plant loss. Shade reduces flowering, while neglected plants become woody and open. Hard pruning into bare old wood gives poor regrowth; roots in containers are more vulnerable to winter frost.

The data side by side

Feature	English lavender	English lavender 'Hidcote'
Group	Perennial	Perennial
Size after 10 years	60 cm × 80 cm (uncertain)	60 cm × 50 cm
Ultimate size	30–90 cm × 0.6–1.2 m (uncertain)	30–60 cm × 40–50 cm
Growth rate	Medium (uncertain)	Medium
Light	Full sun	Full sun (uncertain)
Soil	Average garden soil, Sandy, Calcareous	Average garden soil, Sandy, Calcareous (uncertain)
Hardiness	down to -29 °C (USDA 4, RHS H7)	down to -29 °C (USDA 4, RHS H7)
Heat tolerance	High	High (uncertain)
Foliage	Evergreen	Evergreen
Flowering	June–August, purple, blue, pink, white (uncertain)	June–September, purple
Water need	Low	Low
Drought tolerance	High	High
Maintenance	Medium	Low
Planting distance	40 cm	35 cm
For dogs	Toxic	Toxic
For cats	Toxic	Toxic
For children	Mildly toxic (uncertain)	Mildly toxic (uncertain)
Typical price	approx. CZK 83	approx. CZK 79

Prices are rounded, indicative values. Toxicity data is for information only. If your pet or child has eaten a plant, contact a vet or a doctor. Data updated: October 26, 2026

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English lavender vs Lavandin English lavender 'Hidcote' vs Lavandin