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Lavender is a gorgeous flowering herb native to the hot , ironical Mediterranean realm . It ’s prized for its soft scent and delicate bloom that come out during the affectionate summertime months . Lavender pay a garden an air of civilisation , but this picky works can be difficult to get as it is very susceptible to root rot . This pray the question , are there any plants that see like lavender but are easy to develop ?
Yes , there are a number of plant that resemble lavender , and , fortunately , they ’re all passably easy to produce . If you ’ve never been very good at keeping lavender alive , consider giving one of these plants that look like lavender a endeavor rather .
Mealycup sage
What does lavender look like?
Lavender is an herbaceous perennial flowering shrub with balmy gray - green leaf and tall purple flowers . It ’s incredibly fragrant and well - suited to adverse condition that would make many other flowering plants exit . Because this plant life is both exquisite and sturdy , it ’s a longtime favorite among backyard herbaceous plant gardeners and professional landscapist alike .
There are more than 450 different form of lavender , with English and French cultivars being the most popular . In ideal atmospheric condition , these shrub can last more than a X , with stems becoming woodier over sentence . fledged plants measure about three feet marvelous by about two feet wide , but they can be clip back to a more manageable size .
Lavender can be farm in container , as part of a terrace herbaceous plant garden , or in long rows of hedges to produce a spectacular effect . Because it likes well - drained soil , it does very well in passel . When grown on porches and decks as accent plants , they disembowel the tending of many valuable pollinators , includingbeesandbutterflies .
Mealycup sage
What does lavender need to grow?
Lavender ’s sprays of elegant flowers may play tricks you into think that this bush is a prima donna . But really , it can take caution of itself just okay . This industrial plant does n’t need to be doted on . It likes to be leave alone . We can not strain this enough — give your lavender everything it involve then get out of its way .
Lavender should be planted in arenaceous soil in a place where it receives full sunlight . It like to be water once every other week or so when the grunge has been allowed to dry out out altogether . And it require to be placed in a well - ventilate area to avail keep humid conditions at bay . These are the fundamental principles of growing lavender .
Because it ’s hassle - free and thrives when neglected , and because it can grow in arid clime where many plants ca n’t , this herb is deal to be good for beginning gardener . But growing lavender successfully stay an elusive task , for many skilled growers , which bring in us to our next matter of discussion .
Mealycup sage
Why grow plants that look like lavender instead of the real deal?
Lavender is said to be easy to grow , but it could more accurately be describe as a plant life that flourish in short conditions . If you ca n’t give it those pathetic conditions , the bad - casing scenario is that it will die . The best - case scenario is you ’ll have an uphill conflict forbid it from cash in one’s chips .
robust soils that retain moisture — soils that are full of nutrient and constitutive thing — will set your lavender up for radical rot . fertilize it will change the pH of the dirt to unwanted floor . water it a few too many time will be the last straw . And once your lavender shows signs of overwatering , it probably wo n’t recuperate .
Lavender can be incredibly finicky . And yet , it is undeniably beautiful . It ’s just as pretty growing in decorative pots as it is nest in with other plants in your bed of flowers . So what ’s a nurseryman who dead get it on lavender supposed to do if they ’re simply no good at growing it ? The only logical result is to pick plants that look like lavender but are easier to manage .
Mexican bush sage
Which plants look like lavender?
If it ’s starting to look like you and lavender just are n’t meant to be , it ’s prison term to depart exploring your other options . As it turn out , there are quite a few plants that look like lavender to choose from . There ’s a lilac alternative to suit any garden with any eccentric of ground in any region .
Mealycup Sage
Mealycup salvia , orsalvia farinacea , is a extremity of the mint family . Like lavender , this herbaceous bush loves hot , juiceless growing experimental condition . It grows well in Mexico as well as the southern states of America , where the limestone - racy soils are acidulous enough to support it .
Its flowers , which range in coloring material from blue to purpurate , await very similar to lavender flowers . The prime hang in clusters at the tip of long stems . Mealycup sage is popular with pollinator , especially bees , who feed on the plant ’s rich supplying of pollen and nectar . This makes it a keen plant for dressing up your garden and keep the bug glad . Although , comely warning , it can appeal Phthirius pubis spiders , too .
Mealycup salvia is fairly easy to grow . This flora is drouth - tolerant and does not like to a fault - moist grunge . Even though it can develop root hogwash over metre , it ’s more exonerative than literal lavender if you accidentally give it too much to booze . The only downside is that , while this bush resembles lavender when it ’s in flower , it does n’t when it ’s not . Mealycup sage has prospicient , oval parting that are lustrous and have toothed edges . A far cry from lavender ’s small , soft , unpretentious leave of absence .
Giant blue hyssop
Mexican Bush Sage
If you ’re looking for a plant that search like lavender even when it is n’t flower , Mexican bush sage is just right for you . The flowers bloom from retentive stems , which are great for cutting and drying . Once the flowers have died away , Mexican bush salvia ’s velvety gray - greenish leaves will win over your visitors that it ’s actually lilac-colored .
This evergreen plant shrub is a popular selection for fall gardeners because it blooms from late summertime until the first wintertime halt sets in . It bring on a phone number of long - live on purple flowers that feed pollinating dirt ball when other food source are dwindling . It ’s a tremendous additionto a butterfly stroke garden .
Mexican bush sage grows to a maximal height of four feet , which is about a metrical unit taller than the largest lavender variety . Like lavender , it also likes full sunlight , but it is more liberal of fertile grunge . So if you have loamy soil that is more alkaline , you ’ll have better luck with Mexican bush sage than with substantial lavender .
Russian sage
Hyssop
If you ca n’t spring up lavender , make a lateral move and uprise hyssop instead . This plant is another fragrant herb that produces purple blossoms situated at the ends of farsighted stalks . you could ascertain Hyssopus officinalis in a variety of other colors , too , let in pink , down in the mouth , and red . It farm to be boastful and shaggy , so it do an splendid edging for your flower beds .
Hyssop plants have large root systems , so even though they can be acquire in hatful , they do much intimately in the land . Like lavender , this plant also prefer ironical soil . However , it ’s more tolerant of rich soil types and actually does better in land with lots of constitutive matter .
Look for purple giant Hyssopus officinalis . As its name paint a picture , this is a large plant with sizeable leaves and tall purplish heyday . Mature majestic giant hyssop plant can spring up to be six understructure tall . It make for a stunning focal point in any garden .
Catmint
Russian Sage
Russian sage plants search so much like a variety of lavender that it can fall as a surprise to see out that they ’re not . Both of these industrial plant revel hot , juiceless conditions . At three feet marvelous , these plants are like in size and Russian sage ’s drab - tinted gullible leaves look a lot exchangeable to lavender ’s .
This is a brave shrub . It ’s tough , and if you ’ve found that lavender is too tender to develop in your region , then tough is exactly what you need . Russian sage makes a adorable background to shorter flower in your landscape gardening . The redolent flower draw in butterfly and bee , but the fuzzy texture of the plant itself repulse deer and hare . This clobber really has it all .
If you ’ve get down a sunny space , your Russian salvia plant should do fine . Just be certain to plant these shrub in alkaline dirt . Unlike lavender , Russian sage need a more neutral pH to stay sizable . If your soil is on the acidic side , you may need to amend it with a little compost before constitute .
Rosemary
Catmint
Catmint is another plant that looks like lavender , but it grow just a number differently . Lavender is a bush . It looks like a typical shrub . But catmint is mound , so it acts as more of a groundcover . alternatively of using it as an accent plant life as you would with lavender , you could rely on catmint to fill in the empty spaces in your blossom beds .
This versatile little plant also come in yellow , blue , white , and pink , but if you ’re going for a lilac-colored look , choose purplish catmint . After the works ’s initial bloom full point , the dead flowers can be trimmed back to encourage even more flowers to blossom . This is one plant that will keep your local butterfly stroke add up back for more !
As a flowering herb , catmint is pretty fragrant , which makes itpopular with hummingbirdsand other pollinator . It makes a saunter through your flower garden on a breezy day a real dainty . Another drought - tolerant lavender alternative , Nepeta cataria thrives in full to partial sun and does best when planted in loamy grunge with lot of organic matter .
Rosemary
If you want a fragrant anthesis herb that ’s easy to grow , rosemary has obtain lavender beat by a country mile . Rosemary is dauntless poppycock . It likes sandy , dry grease , the same as lavender . And it needs at least six hour of sunshine every twenty-four hours to be happy . But it ’s much more lenient than lavender if you give it something it does n’t care . you may make a few error with rosemary and it wo n’t hold back it against you . Not so with lavender .
Rosemary is a culinary shrub that ’s beloved for its aroma and its odoriferous yet piquant taste . Its needle - like leaves are full of vegetable oil , perfect for make essential oils and evenrepelling some insects . Rosemary is also a strong herbal home therapeutic for hair loss and can be append to shampoos and conditioner to helpencourage hair increase .
This is a steady - growing , dependable plant . Although it prefers more or less flaxen dirt , it can manage in inert to loamy grime , too . Just prepare your rosemary plants in the ground , give them a beverage about once a week , and leave it to them to do the rest . If you ’re front for works that see like lavender but can expand in varying conditions , rosemary ’s the perfect selection for you .
How can you decide which lavender-lookalike plants are right for you?
turn lavender alternatives may bear witness to be sluttish for you than growing literal lavender . But you do n’t need to jump into this without thinking it through first . No good sense in setting yourself up for loser . So before you settle on a lilac option , walk around your 1000 with a notepad and a pencil and do some observing .
start out by determining where you need to plant your faux lavender . Then , evaluate that space ’s grow conditions . How much light will your lavender - lookalike have admission to ? Will it get full sun or partial tone ? What about the soil ? Is it sandy and acidic or is it loamy and electroneutral to alkaline ? Be sure to drop a line down your garden specs so you could keep them in idea when opt a plant life that looks like lavender . This will help maximise your chance of success .
You may not be good at mature lavender , but that does n’t mean you have to give up on the landscape painting of your dreams . By choosing other plants that look like lavender and are much easy to grow , you ’ll finally be able to transform your backyard into a magical garden full of purple flowers and tantalizing fragrances that you and your local bees and butterfly will love .
