BeeZee White Lavender

• Variety: BeeZee White, a white English lavender that flowers for months
• Species: Lavandula angustifolia (English lavender)
• Colour: Pure white flower spikes
• Foliage: Evergreen, aromatic, silvery-green
• Height: About 40cm
• Spread: About 40cm
• Flowering: Roughly June to September
• Scent: Classic sweet English lavender
• Hardiness: Fully hardy throughout the UK
• RHS AGM: No
• Introduced: Bred by David Kerley, part of the modern BeeZee series
• Sold as: P9 (9cm) pot-grown plants, grown on by us in Somerset from licensed young plants. Peat-free compost
• Plant outdoors: From late April onwards when soil is warming; give it until May in colder inland gardens
• Delivered: From late April, weather dependent. Collection from Castle Cary also available

BeeZee White packs pure white flower spikes, silvery evergreen foliage, and one of the longest flowering seasons of any English lavender into a plant about 40cm each way. Neat enough for a pot, tough enough for a windy border.

BeeZee White Lavender: The White One That Keeps Going

BeeZee White is a compact English lavender, about 40cm tall and wide, with pure white flower spikes held over silvery evergreen foliage from roughly June to September. That season is the point. Most English varieties give you six to eight weeks of flower before the plant retires into a silver mound; the BeeZee series was bred to keep throwing up new spikes for three months, so the bees get a longer feast and you get an edging that still looks alive in September.

Here's an odd fact: the colour lavender is named after the flower, not the other way round. English had no word for that pale purple-blue until 1551, when the dried flower lent the shade its name. So a white lavender is a quiet act of rebellion, and a useful one. In a border it flatters everything around it instead of competing; against box, rosemary, or old brick it reads cool and clean where purple pulls the eye. We think white is the better companion lavender for exactly that reason.

Like every English lavender, it asks for full sun and sharp drainage, and no feeding; lavender flowers hardest on poor ground. Plant into warm soil and it will be settled in well before autumn.

The BeeZee Series: Lavender Bred with Bees in Mind

The BeeZee lavenders come from David Kerley, the British breeder gardeners know best for the Tumbelina trailing petunias, working with the young-plant specialist Hishtil. The brief was a set of compact English lavenders in a full range of colours, all selected for flower power over a long season, and all named for their most loyal customers. BeeZee White is the white of the set; BeeZee Dark Blue is its deep purple sibling. Both are protected by Plant Breeder's Rights (think copyright, for plants), so every plant is raised under licence.

Planting Partners for White Lavender

The obvious move is contrast: a line of BeeZee White in front of BeeZee Dark Blue or classic Hidcote gives you white and purple humming with bees all summer. For an all-white scheme, Arctic Snow is the traditional choice and BeeZee White the longer-flowering modern one; plant them together and nobody will spot the join. Beyond lavender, rosemary is the natural Mediterranean partner, and white lavender at the feet of pink or apricot roses is a pairing that never dates.

Why Buy from Ashridge?

Your plants are grown on here in Somerset from licensed young stock; BeeZee White is under Plant Breeder's Rights, so nobody may propagate it without a licence, and we don't. They're dispatched when conditions are right for planting, arrive by next-day courier, and come with our guarantee and advice from the gardeners who raised them. Browse our English lavender collection or all our lavender plants. We hold a Feefo Platinum Service Award too; our customers put it there.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best lavender for bees and pollinators?

Any English lavender is a bee magnet, but long-flowering varieties like BeeZee White feed them for longest, with white spikes from roughly June to September rather than the usual six weeks. Plant English and Dutch types together and you stretch the season further still.

Can lavender grow in clay soil?

Lavender grows in clay only if the drainage is fixed first; wet winter roots kill far more lavender than cold does. Plant on a ridge or slope, work in plenty of grit, or grow BeeZee White in a pot of gritty compost instead.

What is the difference between BeeZee White and Arctic Snow lavender?

Both are compact white English lavenders, but BeeZee White flowers from roughly June to September while Arctic Snow gives a shorter July to August season and grows more slowly. If white is your scheme, plant both and let the seasons overlap.

When is the best time to plant BeeZee White lavender?

From late April onwards, once the soil is warming; pot-grown plants can go in right through summer if you water them in dry spells. For the full method, see our guide to growing lavender.

How do I stop lavender going woody?

Prune every year without fail: cut back to about 20cm after flowering, always to visible green buds, and never into bare wood. The timing and method are in our guide to cutting back lavender.