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    Home » Gardening

    Harvesting Lavender for Crafting and Cooking

    by Patti Estep · Jul 11, 2022

    Jump to How-to Card
    Lavender shrub in bud.
    Fresh cut lavender with scissors over an image showing a hand cutting lavender from the plant.

    Learn how to harvest lavender, when the best time is and how to dry it for all your favorite crafting and cooking ideas.

    Fresh cut lavender next to a pair of floral shears.
    freshly harvested lavender

    Lavender plants are one of my favorite herbs in the garden. It's pretty easy to grow in my USDA zone 6a garden and is said to be hardy in climates from zones 4 - 10. A woody shrub with beautiful scented flowers and leaves that blooms for long periods year after year. It grows best in direct sunlight with good drainage. And, lavender is loved by butterflies, bees, and other pollinators but the deer and other rodents leave it alone.

    However, the thing I love about lavender is that it can be used in so many ways. From tinctures to salves, dried lavender flowers can also be used in the kitchen to add scent to sugar for baked goods, and can be pressed for candles and other beautiful crafts.

    Lavender Varieties

    There are many different types of lavender. The one I love growing the most is Lavandula angustifolia 'Hidcote'. This is an English lavender with a beautiful scent and pretty dark purple flower buds. The variety 'Munstead' is also a good English variety to grow and harvest. French lavender is beautiful but harder to grow in my climate. I keep some in my dining room but it doesn't produce tons of flowers like the English lavender plants in the garden.

    Lavender in bud.
    Lavandula angustifolia, 'Hidcote' in bud

    When to Harvest Lavender

    The best time to harvest lavender is in the spring or early summer when the flower buds are still tight as shown in the image above.

    Lavender blooms in flower.
    Lavender blooms

    Don't wait to harvest lavender when the buds burst open in blooms like those shown above.

    Cutting lavender stem at the base.

    Harvest stems in the early morning after the dew has dried. Cut the stem close to the bottom but not into the thicker woody part of the plant.

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    Placing a rubber band on a bunch of lavender stems.

    How to Dry Lavender

    Bundle 12 - 15 stems of relatively equal length and use a rubber band at the bottom to secure them together. A rubber band works best because as the plant material dries it will slightly shrink. If you use string or twine the stems may slip through, but the rubber band will adjust to hold the stems together.

    Hanging a bunch of lavender to dry.

    Hang your bundles in a cool dark place that has good airflow. I tie them onto a shelving unit in our basement.

    Depending on the humidity and heat of your house the bundle should take about 10 days to 2 weeks to dry. You will know they are dry when the stems are crispy and easy to break.

    Dried bunch of lavender.

    Then you can go to town creating candles, sachets, or any number of lavender crafts. You can also strip off the lavender buds and place them into an airtight container. You can keep this in your pantry to create a simple syrup, lavender cookies, or other yummy lavender treats.

    So if you are growing lavender or know someone who does try harvesting and drying some. It's really easy and you'll be glad you did.

    Patti signature

    More Lavender Ideas

    • Ways to Using Calming Lavender to Help You Sleep
    • Cooking with Lavender
    • French vs English Lavender
    • Herbal Dream Pillows
    • Pressed Flower Luminaria
    Lavender blooms in bud in the garden.
    Fresh cut lavender next to a pair of floral shears.
    Print

    How to Harvest and Dry Lavender

    Learn how and when to harvest lavender for use in cooking and crafts.
    Prep Time30 minutes mins
    Active Time14 days d
    Additional Time20 minutes mins
    Total Time14 days d 50 minutes mins
    Course: Gardening
    Yield: 1 bunch
    Author: Patti Estep
    Cost: $0

    Equipment

    • Floral or pruning shears

    Materials

    • Rubber band
    • String or twine

    Instructions

    • Cut stems of lavender early in the morning after the dew has dried off.
    • Be sure to cut the flowers that have closed buds only.
    • Reach down and cut the stems an inch or two from the base.
    • Lightly rinse and dry the flowers.
    • Wrap a rubber band around the bottom until tight.
    • Tie a piece of string on the bottom and hang the bunch somewhere upside down in a cool, dark space with good airflow.
    • Remove and keep for crafting or gently remove the buds and place them in an airtight container to use for cooking.

    Notes

    The drying time will vary depending on temperature and more importantly humidity. You will know when the lavender is dry when the stems are crisp, dry, and easy to break.
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    About Patti Estep

    Patti is the creator of Hearth and Vine, a home and garden blog filled with projects to inspire your creative side. She loves crafting, gardening, decorating and entertaining at her home in Pennsylvania. When she is not working on a project at home or searching for treasures at nurseries and thrift stores with her girlfriends, you’ll probably find her with family and friends, at a restaurant, or home party enjoying new and different food adventures.

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