Lavandula pedunculata subsp. pedunculata 'James Compton'

Common name(s): Spanish lavender

Description: evergreen shrub; vigorous, rounded growth with aromatic, gray-green foliage and dark purple-black corollas with dark purple-mauve bracts.

Height: to 2 ft. Spread: to 2 ft.

Habit: compact, upswept

Stem length: 8-10 in.  

Corolla: dark purple-black

Sterile bracts: dark purple-mauve

Bloom season: spring-autumn

Best Uses: landscaping, containers, rock gardens

Origin: collected as seed by James Compton between Almeria and Granada, Spain in 1979. Grown on by Compton at the Chelsea Physic Garden and eventually named after him by the curator, Duncan Donald. Introduced into the plant trade in 1990 by Monksilver Nursery.

Position: full sun and lean, well-draining soil

Winter Hardiness: to 10 F and below

Drought: adapted to 5 months of summer drought