Lavandula stoechas Bandera Deep Purple | Spanish Lavender
Bandera Deep Purple is a compact, richly flowering Spanish Lavender with aromatic evergreen foliage and masses of distinctive deep purple flowers. Its naturally dense, rounded habit makes it particularly suitable for pots, balconies, terraces, borders and small sunny gardens.
Unlike many lavender varieties traditionally propagated vegetatively, Bandera has been developed specifically as a professional-quality seed-grown Lavandula stoechas. Plants are naturally compact, well-branched and uniform, producing quality comparable to vegetatively propagated varieties.
The plants flower abundantly, with blooms that can almost completely cover the foliage at peak flowering. Bandera is also long-flowering and produces a good secondary flush of flowers, extending its ornamental value throughout the season.
Another advantage is its naturally compact growth: pinching is not required. Plants maintain a dense, mounded shape without opening up in the centre. Sow 1 seed per cell or small pot. Bandera is naturally well-branched and develops into a compact, bushy plant from a single seed; pinching is not required.
Bandera Deep Purple is also a first-year flowering perennial, making it an excellent choice when a compact lavender with relatively fast flowering from seed is desired.
Plant Information
Botanical Name: Lavandula stoechas
Series: Bandera
Variety: Deep Purple
Common Name: Spanish Lavender
Plant Type: Perennial
Foliage: Evergreen
Flower Colour: Deep purple
Plant Habit: Compact, bushy and mounded
Height: 18–23 cm
Width: 25–30 cm
Spacing: 30–36 cm
Position: Full sun
Blooming Season: Early spring, spring, late spring and summer
Hardiness Zone: 7a–10b
Hardiness: Approx. H4 (-5 to -10°C)
First-Year Flowering: Yes
Pinching: Not required
Suitable For: Pots, containers, balconies, terraces, sunny borders and small-space gardens
Sowing & Germination
Sow 1 seed per cell into a fine, well-drained seed-starting substrate.
Cover the seed only lightly. Avoid covering the seeds too deeply, as this can significantly reduce germination.
Maintain a temperature of approximately 18–20°C during the initial germination stage.
Germination develops relatively quickly under suitable conditions, with approximately 3–5 days from 50% germination to maximum germination.
Once the first roots begin to emerge, cooler growing conditions of approximately 16–18°C are recommended. This is particularly important because young Lavandula stoechas seedlings can stretch if temperatures are too high during the early stages.
Keep the substrate evenly moist during germination, but avoid excessive wetness.
Vernalisation is not required.
Growing from Seed
The young plants normally require approximately 6–7 weeks in plug production before they are ready for the next growing stage.
After transplanting, Bandera Deep Purple requires approximately 11–14 weeks to finish and flower under suitable conditions.
This gives an approximate professional crop time of around 17–21 weeks from sowing to a flowering plant, depending on growing conditions.
Bandera can therefore flower in its first year from seed.
After germination, provide plenty of light and good air circulation. Avoid overly warm, humid conditions and excessive watering.
A slightly acidic growing medium is preferred. The supplied professional growing information recommends a pH of approximately 5.5–6.2. Very high pH can cause chlorosis.
Growing & Care
Choose a warm position in full sun. Spanish Lavender performs best with plenty of light and a well-drained growing medium.
Bandera develops naturally into a dense, rounded and well-branched plant, so pinching is normally unnecessary.
Its compact size makes it particularly suitable for container growing. Plants can easily fill a 10 cm pot and can also be grown in larger containers.
Once established, avoid keeping the growing medium constantly wet. Good drainage and air circulation are particularly important for lavender.
The plants remain compact in the garden and maintain their rounded habit without falling open.
Flowering
Bandera Deep Purple is notable for its heavy and long-lasting flowering. At peak bloom, the numerous deep purple flowers can almost cover the plant.
The series is also capable of producing a good secondary flush of flowers, extending the display after the first major flowering period.
Under professional growing conditions, Bandera can flower approximately 1–3 weeks earlier than comparable varieties.
Growing in Pots
With its compact height of only 18–23 cm, Bandera Deep Purple is particularly well suited to pots, balcony containers and terraces.
Use a container with good drainage and place it in the sunniest available position. Avoid leaving the roots standing in water.
Its naturally compact, mounded shape means it remains attractive without regular shaping or pinching, making it an excellent lavender for smaller spaces.
Lavandula stoechas Bandera Deep Purple combines the fragrance and distinctive flowers of Spanish Lavender with an unusually compact, seed-grown habit. Its abundant deep purple flowers, long flowering period and small size make it an excellent choice for sunny pots, balconies, terraces and garden borders.
