Succeeds in almost any soil so long as it is well-drained and not too acid. Prefers a sunny position in a neutral to alkaline soil. Prefers a light warm dry soil. When grown in rich soils the plants tend to produce more leaves but less essential oils. Very tolerant of salt wind exposure. Established plants are drought tolerant. When growing for maximum essential oil content, the plant must be given a very warm sunny position and will do best in a light sandy soil, the fragrance being especially pronounced in a chalky soil. This species of lavender is cultivated for its essential oil in S. France and England. It is very closely related to L. angustifolia but perhaps not so hardy, tolerating temperatures down to about -10°c. Plants are not very long-lived and soon become straggly unless pruned. Any trimming of the plant is best done in spring and should not be done in the autumn since this can encourage new growth that will not be very cold-hardy. A good bee plant, also attracting butterflies and moths. A good companion for most plants, growing well with cabbages.

Leaves - raw. Used as a condiment in salads. Very aromatic, they cannot be eaten in quantity. An essential oil from the flowers is used as a food flavoring.

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed. It usually germinates in 1 - 3 months at 15°c. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse or cold frame for their first winter, planting them out in late spring after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of half-ripe wood 7 - 10cm with a heel, July/August in a frame. Usually very east, a high percentage will root within a few weeks. Grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter and plant them out in late spring after the last expected frosts. Cuttings 7cm with a heel succeed at almost any time of the year. Layering.

Arid hillsides, especially on limestone.