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Lavandula x chaytorae Richard Gray - Hybrid Lavender

Lavandula x chaytorae Richard Gray
Hybrid Lavender

4,6/5
10 reviews
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1 reviews

died - others bought locally are thriving - from now on I buy local

Laurence, 25/10/2022

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A very compact lavender, aging well, adorned with wooly foliage. In summer, the plant is covered with spikes of a beautiful deep violet, carried by short stems. The contrast between the very light foliage and the dark flowering is particularly interesting in this hybrid. For dry, well-drained soils, in full sun.
Flower size
4 cm
Height at maturity
40 cm
Spread at maturity
40 cm
Exposure
Sun
Hardiness
Hardy down to -15°C
Soil moisture
Dry soil
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Best planting time March, September
Recommended planting time February to April, September to November
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Flowering time June to August
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Description

Lavandula x chaytorae 'Richard Gray' is one of the most compact hybrid lavenders but also one of the most beautiful in the garden. Forming a cushion that remains dense even at an advanced age, it ages much better than most varieties, while offering an interesting contrast in summer between its very light woolly foliage and spikes of a magnificent deep violet. It is an indispensable evergreen undershrub in dry or rocky, well-drained soils, in a very sunny exposure.

 

The genus Lavandula belongs to the Lamiaceae family. This hybrid is part of a series obtained in the mid-1980s at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (England), easy to install in a dry garden, and tolerant of limestone. L. x chaytorae, also known as grey lavender, has inherited the robustness of fine lavender (L. angustifolia) and the wonderful silver foliage of woolly lavender (L. lanata). The variety 'Richard Gray' forms a nice round cushion with dense vegetation, reaching 40 to 50cm (16 to 20in) in flower, 20 to 30cm (8 to 12in) for the foliage, and a diameter of 40 to 50cm (16 to 20in). Its persistent leaves are narrow, particularly woolly and silver. They are even lighter when the soil is dry and the climate is warm. On the other hand, in cool climates, what the plant gains in foliage and robustness, it loses in colour and fragrance intensity. This variety has a summer flowering that lasts two months, from June to August, depending on the climate. Short and slender stems emerge above the foliage ball, bearing beautiful deep violet spikes, highly attractive to bees.

 

For us "northerners," lavender is synonymous with vacations. It evokes sunshine, the song of cicadas, the arid and fragrant hillsides of the Forcalquier region, and it is a piece of this atmosphere that we try to capture in our humid gardens. Lavenders have numerous and varied uses. In nature, these plants always live in poor, rocky, dry, perfectly drained environments, and experience the long, arid summers characteristic of the Mediterranean climate. It is only natural that they will find their place in rock gardens, alongside rockroses, creeping rosemary, sunroses, and Artemisias. Massifs can be created on large, well-drained slopes by planting different varieties of lavenders, whose volumes, flowering, and foliage will create a landscape with many undulations. Dry-loving perennials with vibrant or soft blooms can be mixed in to punctuate the landscape: Epilobium canum 'Western Hills', Salvia jamensis, Gaillardias, Hesperaloe parviflora with its red spikes, along with a Convolvulus althaeoides, a Provence bindweed that will run everywhere between and within the cushions without smothering them. A border of lavanders will look even prettier overlooking a wall, with aubrietas, for example, at their feet.

Lavandula x chaytorae Richard Gray - Hybrid Lavender in pictures

Lavandula x chaytorae Richard Gray - Hybrid Lavender (Flowering) Flowering
Lavandula x chaytorae Richard Gray - Hybrid Lavender (Foliage) Foliage
Lavandula x chaytorae Richard Gray - Hybrid Lavender (Plant habit) Plant habit

Flowering

Flower colour violet
Flowering time June to August
Inflorescence Spike
Flower size 4 cm
Fragrance Fragrant, Lavender, slightly camphoraceous
Bee-friendly Attracts pollinators
Good for cut flowers Cut flower blooms

Foliage

Foliage persistence Evergreen
Foliage colour grey or silver
Aromatic? Fragrant foliage when creased

Plant habit

Height at maturity 40 cm
Spread at maturity 40 cm
Growth rate normal

Botanical data

Genus

Lavandula

Species

x chaytorae

Cultivar

Richard Gray

Family

Lamiaceae

Other common names

Hybrid Lavender

Origin

Cultivar or hybrid

Product reference830081

Planting and care

Plant Lavandula 'Richard Gray' in well-drained soil, even rocky. It is hardy down to -12/-15°C (10.4/5°F) in dry soil. In nature, lavenders always live in poor and dry environments. They dislike summer watering, which makes them sick and disappear, as they are very sensitive to fungal diseases induced by the combination of heat and humidity. In winter, they absolutely need perfect drainage, and in summer, they must be kept dry. Lavenders age better in poor soil, as their growth will be slower, and they are less likely to become bare at the base. This variety 'Richard Gray', unlike others, requires little pruning, except for removing faded flower spikes at the end of flowering. Lavenders never regrow on old wood. At planting, give them what they like: gravel, rocks, coarse sand, but no compost or fertilizer.

 

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6
19,50 €
16
14,50 € Each

Planting period

Best planting time March, September
Recommended planting time February to April, September to November

Intended location

Suitable for Meadow, Rockery
Type of use Border, Edge of border, Container, Slope
Hardiness Hardy down to -15°C (USDA zone 7b) Show map
Ease of cultivation Amateur
Planting density 5 per m2
Exposure Sun
Soil pH Neutral, Calcareous
Soil type Chalky (poor, alkaline and well-drained), Stony (poor and well-drained)
Soil moisture Dry soil, Well-drained.

Care

Pruning instructions Prune lightly after flowering or in autumn, just above the first buds that can be seen on the wood. Lavenders and lavandins do not regrow on old wood, cutting too short causes the formation of a gap in the foliage that would be irreversible. Remove faded flowers.
Pruning Pruning recommended once a year
Pruning time August to October
Disease resistance Good
Overwinter Can be left in the ground
4,6/5
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