Can You Separate Lavender Plants? A Guide to Dividing Lavender in the Garden

Lavender is a fragrant herb that is popular for its beautiful flowers and aromatic scent. With its gray-green foliage and tall flowering spikes, lavender makes an excellent addition to any garden. Many gardeners wonder if they can propagate more lavender plants by separating or dividing existing plants. So can you separate lavender plants? Let’s take a closer look.

An Overview of Lavender Plants

Lavender is a woody perennial subshrub that belongs to the mint family Lamiaceae. There are over 40 species of lavender, with some of the most popular varieties being English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), French lavender (Lavandula dentata), and Spanish lavender (Lavandula stoechas)

Lavender plants have a shrubby habit, growing 1-3 feet tall and wide. The slender green leaves are fragrant when crushed From late spring to early summer, lavender produces spikes of tubular flowers atop slender stems Flower colors include purple, blue, pink, and white. The flowers are highly aromatic.

In ideal growing conditions, lavender can live for 10-15 years. Plants appreciate full sun and well-draining soil. Established lavender plants are quite drought tolerant. Lavender is hardy in USDA zones 5-9. It can be grown as an annual in colder climates.

Can You Divide Lavender? An Overview of Propagation

Many gardeners want to make more plants from existing lavender in the garden So can you divide lavender? Let’s look at the options for lavender propagation

Propagation from seed – Lavender can be started from seed indoors in late winter. Plants grown from seed take 1-2 years to mature and flower. Seed-grown plants have more genetic diversity but are not clones of the parent plant.

Taking lavender cuttings – A common way to propagate lavender is taking 3-4 inch tip cuttings from new growth in spring or summer. Dip the cut end in rooting hormone and pot up in sterile potting mix. Keep the cuttings warm and moist until roots form in 2-4 weeks. Transplant into the garden after hardening off.

Layering lavender stems – Lavender stems that touch the ground may form roots while still attached to the parent plant. Simply cut these rooted stems and pot up to make new plants.

Dividing lavender – Mature, overgrown lavender plants can be divided to rejuvenate them. However, lavender has a taproot and does not dividing well. Division often results in death of the parent plant.

Challenges of Dividing Lavender Plants

Lavender plants present challenges when it comes to division. Here’s why dividing lavender can be tricky:

• Lavender has a taproot, so the root system does not readily divide.
• Established lavender plants often only have 1-2 main woody stems.
• Dividing the roots and woody stems risks killing the parent plant.
• Lavender division has a low success rate compared to cuttings.
• Divided lavender transplants are prone to transplant shock.
• Best time to divide is spring or fall, not during warm months.

Most lavender varieties do not respond well to division. The root system and woody stems get damaged in the process. Transplants from division are slow to establish. Many divided lavender plants will die rather than rooting successfully.

For all these reasons, most gardeners do not recommend dividing lavender as a propagation method. Taking cuttings is a much better way to make more plants without disturbing the parent plant.

However, division may be used to rejuvenate old, overgrown lavender shrubs. The technique should only be attempted on mature plants that are declining.

How to Divide Lavender Plants

If you wish to attempt lavender division, here are some tips:

• Select an overgrown lavender plant – Choose a 3+ year old lavender shrub that is declining in vigor and flowering. Avoid dividing young, healthy plants.

• Time it right – Divide lavender in early spring as growth resumes or in fall after flowering. Avoid summertime division.

• Prepare for transplanting – Water the plant well a few days before dividing. Have new pots and potting mix ready. Choose a sheltered spot for transplants.

• Dig up the plant – Carefully dig up the entire lavender plant. Shake off excess soil but keep roots intact as much as possible.

• Divide the plant – With a clean, sharp knife, cut the plant into sections, ensuring each has some roots and stems. Take care not to shred or damage roots.

• Pot up divisions – Plant divisions into pots using sterile potting mix. Firm the mix gently around the roots.

• Care for transplants – Keep transplants sheltered, watered, and shaded for 1-2 weeks as they recover from division. Gradually expose them to sun and transplant outside.

Follow proper aftercare once the divided lavender sections are potted up. Avoid disturbing the new transplants and set them in a protected area out of direct sun at first. Water frequently but avoid overwatering. Transplant into the garden after several weeks once the divisions are established.

Even when dividing lavender carefully, there is a high risk of losing both the parent plant and divisions. Taking 3-4 inch lavender cuttings is a much better propagation method for most gardeners.

Signs It’s Time to Divide Lavender

Lavender plants can outgrow their space after several years in the garden. Overgrown, neglected lavender may get woody and decline in vigor. Here are signs it may be time to divide and rejuvenate lavender:

• Lower leaf loss in center of the plant
• Less flowering on old plants
• Overgrown, sparse lower foliage
• Woody buildup in stems near base
• Dead spots or browning foliage
• Plant collapse in center
• Congested, cramped growth habit

A 3+ year old lavender plant exhibiting these signs could potentially benefit from division. This gives older plants a chance to start over. But again, propagation by cuttings is much safer than division.

Caring for Divided Lavender Plants

Dividing lavender is very stressful for the plants. Follow these care tips for divided lavender transplants:

• Shelter divisions in a protected shade house at first.
• Use new sterile potting mix and clean pots or trays.
• Water frequently to establish but avoid saturating soil.
• Allow several weeks for roots to recover before repotting or planting out.
• Harden off divisions gradually before planting outdoors.
• Transplant into garden into a sunny, well-draining spot.
• Water regularly until divisions are established.
• Avoid fertilizing newly divided plants.
• Watch for signs of transplant shock.

With diligent aftercare, divided lavender may recover but this takes time. Maintain ideal growing conditions while the new transplants establish.

Best Lavender Varieties for Division

Most lavender plants resent division. But a few varieties are easier to divide successfully:

• English lavender – Cultivars of English lavender like ‘Hidcote’ and ‘Munstead’ have a higher success rate when divided.

• French lavender – The coarser roots of French lavender varieties may better tolerate division.

• Fringed lavender – The shaggy, fringed bracts of L. dentata require more room, so mature plants benefit from division.

• Spanish lavender – Division helps rejuvenate overgrown Spanish lavender shrubs.

Even in these varieties, taking cuttings is still preferable to division. But gardeners report better results dividing these types compared to other lavender species and cultivars.

Results of Dividing Lavender Plants

What can you expect after dividing lavender? Here’s what to expect:

• High risk of losing the parent plant
• Slow rooting of divided sections
• 50% or less success rate
• Transplant shock symptoms like leaf wilt
• Reduced flowering the first season after dividing
• Slower growth of divisions
• Smaller size of divided plants
• Loss of divisions from transplant shock
• Plants take time to return to mature size

Because of poor outcomes, most gardeners avoid dividing lavender when possible. Removing a few older stems annually helps rejuvenate plants instead. Take cuttings from healthy plants to make more. Reserve division only for rehabilitating overgrown, old plants.

Alternatives to Dividing Lavender

Division should not be your primary method of propagating more lavender. Consider these better alternatives:

• Take 3-4 inch stem cuttings in spring and root in sterile mix. Transplant the clones once rooted.

• Start lavender from seed indoors for genetic diversity. Transplant seedlings into the garden.

• Layer flexible stems by pinning them to the soil. They will root while attached and can be cut later.

• Prune out old, woody stems at ground level to stimulate new growth.

• Grow different lavender varieties so you always have young plants.

• Transplant small divisions very carefully to avoid disturbing the roots.

Rather than putting the parent plant at risk, use these safer methods to increase your lavender. Reserve division only for reviving overgrown, neglected plants.

Dividing Lavender in a Nutshell

Can you divide lavender plants? Technically yes, you can divide lavender to rejuvenate old plants. But the risks outweigh the benefits for most gardeners. Here are the key takeaways on lavender division:

• Lavender has a taproot and woody stems that make division difficult.
• Division is not recommended for propagation – cuttings are better.
• Only divide overgrown, declining lavender shrubs to rehabilitate them.
• Carefully divide in spring or fall and transplant divisions with care.
• Expect high transplant shock and losses from division.
• Safer to layer, take cuttings, and prune annually rather than divide.
• Removing a few old stems helps rejuvenate plants over time.