Lavender: when and how to prune

Lavandula angustifolia

Prune lavender after flowering, in August–September, and lightly again in April: always into the green leaves, never into the bare old wood.

Lavender won’t regrow from old, bare wood: a plant you prune every year stays full and compact, one you leave alone falls open and turns woody.

Updated on 11 October 2026

Key facts
Pruning months	April and August–September
Flowering	June–August
Good for bees, butterflies and birds	Yes, for bees and butterflies
Native to Belgium	No, planted

Lavender: when to prune it?

The most important prune comes after flowering, from August to early September: the plant still has time to grow new leaves before winter.

In April, when new growth starts, lightly trim it into shape, only into the green leaves: that keeps it nicely rounded.

Don’t prune late in autumn or in winter: let the plant go into winter with its leaves. Lavender dies from wet roots more often than from frost.

What else to prune in those months? April · August · September

After flowering, cut off the faded flower stalks and take a little of the foliage with them, leaving a compact mound.
Always leave a few centimetres of green leaves above the woody part: that is where the new shoots break.
Cut a single plant with secateurs and a row or low hedge with shears; keep a domed shape, so rain runs off quickly.
Start young: lightly trim a plant in its very first year after planting, even if you lose a few flowers. A plant that is pruned every year stays full right to the base.
If you want to dry the flowers, cut the stalks as soon as the first florets open: that is already part of the prune.
You can’t rejuvenate an old, bare, woody plant by cutting it back hard: replace it with a young plant, perhaps grown from your own cuttings.

Twice a year: after flowering, the flower stalks and a little of the foliage; in April, just a few centimetres to trim it into shape.
Never cut into the bare, old wood: lavender won’t regrow from it, and the plant can die.
After 8–10 years a plant often turns woody and bare even with good pruning: replace it then.

From June to August, English lavender is a top plant for honeybees, bumblebees and solitary bees, and butterflies such as whites and peacocks drink from it too.
If some plants are still in full flower in August, wait with those until flowering is over, or prune in turns: that way bees and butterflies have something to eat right to the end.
Birds seldom nest in lavender: it is too low and too open. The April and August prunes do fall in the nesting season (15 March–15 August), though, so watch out for a nest in a hedge or shrub right next to it.
Lavender isn’t native, but it is one of the best nectar plants for a sunny, dry spot. The fragrant prunings can go on the compost heap.

Cutting into the bare wood, after which the plant doesn’t regrow.
Never pruning, so the plant falls open and turns bare and woody at the base.
Still pruning hard late in autumn, so the plant goes into the wet winter bare.
Feeding or watering a lot: lavender then turns soft, smells less and falls open sooner.

Caution: Never cut back into bare, old wood: lavender won’t regrow from it.