Lavandula, French Lavender, Spanish Lavender 'Kew Red'

Actually, the cultivar was found on the annual field trip to southern Spain between the University of Reading's plant science unit (Engla...Read Morend) and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. They check on the parent plant every year. Reading is pronounced 'Redding', hence 'Kew Red', but it doesn't have anything to do with Redding Arboretum...

I lost my Kew lavender plants to a freeze in April 2007. These are not as tough as some other lavenders.

This is a form of L stoechas pedunculata (Spanish lavender) collected in southern Spain during a joint plant hunting expedition (the Kew-...Read MoreRedding Plant Expedition) by Kew Royal Botanic Garden, England and Redding Arboretum, northern California in 1999.

If grown in very very free draining soil it can withstand temperatures to -5C if you're lucky. It laps up the sun and to be really happy should be grown in sandy/gritty medium in full sun, with minimal frost and little rain in the winter time.

It hates winter wet.

I purchased Kew Red in plugs; potted to 4" and spent the summer in a greenhouse. When I moved them outside in 1 gal pots, they all appea...Read Morer to have died. I'm in western washington state & thought Kew Red to be quite tolerant of some frost conditions. I would appreciate any information someone might be able to provide. I am also looking for a yellow lavender.