Dear Alison,
Were pretty hot and humid here in Mackay I'll tell you!!! But I bought 2 french Lavenders about 6 months ago and their thriving. I don't beleive it!!! I never thought I'd be able to grow lavender. Apparently it's also called spanish lavender. I got mine from Big W if you have one near you.
Happy growing,
Mel...

Bunnings also have the french lavender

How confusing is plant nomenclature? Although the Spanish Lavender is sometimes referred to as French Lavender they are both separate species. French Lavender is L. dentata and Spanish is L. stoechas and is referred to as "French" because it is actually native to Spain.

French Lavender has serrated leaves and large woolly flowers while Spanish Lavender has dark purple winged bracts.

However, both are suited to growing in humid areas. They probably do best when grown in raised beds or mounds in well-drained areas. Provide good air circulation and don't crowd the plants. Add fine gravel to the soil when planting and mulch with a fine gravel as well instead of organic mulches.

There is another lavender which is said to do well in humid areas and that is the one called 'Sidonie' which is a hybrid. This one has finer foliage and flowers similar to the Spanish Lavender. I think one of its parents was the Canary Island Lavender.

There's a big difference between French and Spanish lavender, Mel. The former has bluish flowers and the latter usually has white flowers and grows like a weed in fact there has been a call for Spanish (sometimes called Italian) Lavender to be declared a noxious weed in some areas. French lavender is much better behaved. I live not far from Brisbane, on the coast, and I've successfully grown English, French and Spanish lavenders, also the Lavandula sydneyii which has lacy leaves. The one which does best in humid climates, however, is Allardi Lavender, which is a cross between French and English. It can get very big indeed, but is very fragrant and pretty. If you make sure that your lavender has excellent drainage, is not overwatered, and there is plenty of air circulation around the plant, and that it's in full sun, you should have no problem growing lavender in SEQ.

Wow, thankyou all so much!

Daisyduckworth,
I wasn't voicing my own opinion, simply stating from everything I have read about lavender they state that spanish and french lavender are often identified as the same plant even though I know they are NOT!!!
I grow "French lavender" very successfully. It hasn't required any fertiliser, compost, raised bed or extra water, air as some may claim. I have simply stuck it in the ground and watered it when everything else gets a water. Some plants do not need the molly-coddling that is often associated with Lavender, espeically if they want to survive in my garden!!!! LOL.
Our humidity I'm afraid would simply poo all over Brisbane's weather and if I can grow it here, it surely can be grown in the most humid of weathers.
Like I said, I'm only giving Alison the advice that she wanted and like all of you I am only trying to help. Please don't jump down the throat of the person who is only trying to help others.
Cheers and happy lavenders,
Mel...

Gee, which super-sensitive guy got out of bed on the wrong side this morning? French lavender is Lavandula dentata. Spanish lavender (often called Italian lavender)is Lavandula stoeches. They are 2 distinct species which no horticulturist or other knowledgeable, experienced person could mistake. The French has blue flowers (not as dark as the English lavender, Lavandula angustifolia, but pretty). The Spanish/Italian usually has white or very pale flowers. I have propagated, grown and sold all of these commercially, and I've had to know my stuff to do it successfully. And I've had several decades in which to study and learn what I know. Accept or reject the information I offer, it's no skin off my nose either way.

Apart from the difference in opinion regarding correct plant names I am still confused (as I mentioned at another place) about the reference to the flowers of Italian/Spanish Lavender being white or pale-coloured. As well as those other references (i.e. "An Australian Herbal", Jackie French's "A Guide to Herbs" and "Hemphill's Herbs"), I found numerous references on the web, and illustrations, that the flowers of Italian/Spanish Lavender are purple coloured and one reference to the flowers being lilac coloured, apart from cultivars, of course (there is a L. stoechas 'Alba'). Another excellent site is http://www.mediterraneangardensociety.org/plants/.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to prove myself right and anyone else wrong here, just interested in clarifying the matter.

Well all that I was saying was from my own personal experience. I do not claim to be a professional, nor would I want to be one. Alison simply asked what Lavender grew here, and I told her which one I "believed" I had. I don't give a hoot which type of lavender it is, it smells like it and that's all that really matters. I wasn't accepting or rejecting your information, simply stating what information I had. Anna, my Lavendula Dentata has mid purple flowers, I don't know about any others, but I'm sure daisy can clarify it from years of experience with it.
And I didn't get out of bed on the wrong side, it was my birthday and I was in a very cheerful mood until you took my personal experience and made light of it. I do have French lavender, I checked the tag and it is Lavendula dentata, and it grows rather well. Maybe one day you should come visit my garden and we can have a chat about the differences of this plant, I'm sure it will be interesting.
Cheers and happy lavenders,
Mel.... (by the way, I'm a gal)LOL

Mel (apologies about the gender mix-up and a happy birthday to you!), the L. dentata has purpley-blue coloured flowers, they just aren't that rich, deep colour of the English lavender. It also doesn't have the same pure lavender aroma of the English lavender - it's more camphory than anything else, though still nice. The smell of the L. stoeches is even more camphory and less lavendery. Generally, the English has no dentation ('teeth' for want of a better way to put it) on the leaves, the French is slightly dentated (serrated) and the Spanish/Italian more so. The problem with lavenders is that they do cross with each other quite readily, which is how we get so many variations on the theme. I'm not sure that I believe this story, but according to popular belief, the L. sydneyii (the one which has virtually no lavender perfume, and flowers on very, very long spikes, and very feathery leaves) was an accident, found growing in a garden which had several different lavender species in it - in Sydney, of course, hence its name. The story goes that nobody could be quite sure which of the 'ordinary'lavenders contributed to its creation. I'd prefer to believe it was created by the usual hybridising methods by someone in the know! Anyway, Alison, lavender isn't all that hard to grow, so why not give them all a try? If you're a growing black and then die, I'd suggest you're overwatering, or that the drainage needs improving. Lavenders need a lot more water than many books suggest, but they don't like constantly wet feet. [On the subject of books, there are very few authors of books on herbs who have any letters after their names. Just thought I'd point this out to those who believe that having a book published, or a web-site for that matter) is the same thing as tertiary qualifications!]

OK I am going out to buy every possible Lavender I can find locally, I now have total info mind block :-)

Daisy, sorry but I don't understand the last paragraph of your post. Why haven't those with tertiary qualifications and letters after their names written something and if they have would it necessary be any better than those books that so many of us refer to. The Hemphills have been growing and writing about herbs for at least 50 years, their son has carried on the tradition and has a store in Balmain and has written a number of books (no letters after his name). If Penny Woodward can have a foreward to her book by the respected horticulturist T.R. Garnett he must believe she knows what she is writing about. If there are very few writers that have letters after their name why then should we not take notice of those people who have shared their knowledge with us.

I have been around long enough to differentiate between books of questionable quality and those that have been written by knowledgable people. And that also applies to choice of websites. If I were looking for information of a more scientific nature I would look for something written by a person with initials after their name.

In asking the question about the lavender colour I was very careful in checking information to substantiate the query and I found no information other than that which I mentioned and only that from websites and books which I considered to be of a reputable nature (and I do believe I can tell the difference).

As I thought my question was not put in a confronting or critical manner I simply did not understand your statement. To be perfectly honest, I feel that somehow I am being, to put it mildly, chided. If you have tertiary qualifications and letters after your name, please let me know and maybe I will understand your statement.

Incidentally, in Sydney (and probably in NSW) the L. sydneyii is called "Sidonie" and was bred by Sidonie Barton (hence the name) and Ian Cunliffe. Though probably the "accidental" story is more romantic.

Alison, Essdale Lavender Farm at Kilkivan (half an hour west of Gympie) should be able to put you on the right track - they are growing many varieties successfully. Jari.

Hi Anna,

We've got some spanish/italian (the one with the three petals at the top of the flower) lavender that has self seeded in the garden, some of which has white/cream flowers.

I'm not sure if that is relevant to your question, but maybe it's a common occurrance.

The Spanish/Italian lavender (Lavandula stoechas) will cross pollinate and self seed very easily, that is why we are seeing so many varieties with many colour variations in the "wings" (petal-like bracts at the top of the flower spike) and flower spike in the nurseries. It is a declared weed in some parts of Australia so be careful not to let this plant escape from your garden into the bush, trim off the flower heads after flowering.

Hello Alison, I believe French (L. dentata) is the best to grow in humid areas. There is a new variety called "Monet" which is supposed to have greener foliage and darker purple flowers than the original, it is performing well in my garden so far but we don't have the humidity you experience. Make sure it has excellent drainage around the roots, lavenders hate wet tootsies and they like an open possie with lots of air flow. Good luck!

Alison... I was wondering if you got any lavender, and if so which sort and how it is going so far.... I want to edge a path in lavendar (about 20 plants), so would like to hear how you went (before I buy a whole heap of plants that turn black and die!)

Hello wishful, this post of mine was really old and actually I was asking on behalf of someone in Malaysia where the climate is even more tropical. No I never bought any though there is (was?) a specialist lavender nursery in I think its Lahey Road at Mt. Tamborine something like Naroo or Nardoo- perhaps if you could get a lead on them they could suggest better types for Qld. Good luck. I would have written direct but there's no e-mail option on your GW page.