Think Twice Before Dividing Lavender - Here's Why

Can't get enough lavender? Since lavender (Lavandula spp.) is a perennial, you may be thinking about dividing it, as you would other perennials. The benefits of dividing plants include alleviating crowding, opening airflow around plants, and keeping each plant to a manageable size. But in addition to its status as a perennial, lavender is a woody sub-shrub, a classification that neither divides easily nor benefits from dividing. In fact, lavender is among the perennials to avoid dividing at all costs.

It's relatively easy to divide clumps of most perennials, but stems that are affixed to a single woody base, as with lavender, are virtually impossible to divide. If you attempt to split lavender's woody main stem in half, the plant is likely to die. Since some resources detail methods for dividing lavender, you may be tempted to try it. But even if dividing were not likely doomed to failure, you can deploy much easier methods to accomplish the same goals as for dividing.

Lavender's inability to be successfully divided need not discourage you if you're looking to increase your number of lavender plants or move some lavender to a different location. You can still easily grow an endless supply of these dazzling purple flowers. There are a couple of effective ways to propagate lavender: cuttings or layering. For the cutting method, promote good root development by cutting a piece of lavender at the leaf node, or the point where leaves are attached. Trim off the leaves on the lower part of the cutting, then place the cut end into a moist growing medium. Keep the plant humid by covering it with plastic. Keep the container in a warm spot with indirect light. For layering, look for a spot where lavender branches have touched the soil and subsequently developed roots. You can cut those stems off the parent plant, dig out their roots, and plant them as desired. Many gardeners help this process along by bending stems and pinning them to the ground to grow roots. 

Another piece of good news is that while lavender shouldn't be divided, it isn't hard to transplant, so you can move it to another locale if needed. Make sure to dig up the entire root system, and until the plant gets established in its new spot, keep the soil moist. It's reassuring to know you can grow plenty of lavender without the need for division as you contemplate all the brilliant ways you can use lavender from the garden around your house.