How to Harvest Lavender to Retain Its Fragrance, Flavor, and Color

Lavender (Lavendula) is a popular perennial that provides a host of wellness benefits and a range of culinary uses. Once harvested, this multipurpose plant can easily find a home in sweet and savory dishes, a bright bouquet of fresh flowers, or a fragrant bundle atop a mantle. 

Lavender is relatively easy to grow and is a great, low-maintenance plant for novice and master gardeners alike. It can be grown in gardens and planters across the United States from Zone 5 to 10, depending on the variety you choose.

But when it comes to harvesting lavender, you need to know the right method and timing based on how you want to use it. Ahead, we spoke with experts to learn more about harvesting and storing lavender to help you maximize this fragrant plant's full potential.

Tools You'll Need 

• Basket for collecting cut lavender
• Clean shears or scissors
• Rubber bands or twine
• Sheet or towel for the bundling and storing process (optional)

If you’re using rubber bands instead of twine to bundle the lavender, Chris Anthony, co-owner of Quiet Hill Lavender Farm, recommends using UV-resistant rubber bands, which can hold up longer and make drying and storing easier.

Instructions 

1. Gather a clean pair of shears or scissors and a basket or container to hold the cut lavender.
2. Peer inside the lavender plant and identify the woody part of the stem. Anthony says this sweet spot is easy to identify. "The stem will turn from a woody stem to a greenish stem with new growth," he says.
3. Using your shears or scissors, cut about 2 to 3 inches above the woody stem of the plant. "Be sure to leave plenty of green growth on the plant to help promote future growth and blooming," says Joe Moussa, owner of Mosaic Home & Garden Center and Mosaic & Co. Studio. 
4. Place cut lavender in a basket to be processed based on intended use.

When to Harvest Lavender 

You can harvest lavender in early spring, if it's ready, which will give the plant enough time for another set of blooms to harvest in early to mid-summer, says Moussa. In terms of the time of the day, late morning is what you should aim for. "Late morning to mid-day is usually the best time to harvest," says Anthony. "If you harvest too early in the morning, you get moisture from the morning dew," while if you wait too long, the sun burns off some of the oils that are replenished overnight. 

To avoid moisture when harvesting, which could lead to mold growth, Anthony recommends running your hand through your lavender with a paper towel—the cheaper, the better, as lower quality paper towels show moisture easier than pricier, highly absorbent brands. 

Time of day isn’t the only consideration. What you plan to do with the lavender is another key factor that dictates when to harvest it.

Harvesting for Fresh Floral Bouquets 

If you plan on using lavender as part of a fresh floral arrangement, harvest when half the flowers on the stem are open, says Anthony. "When the flowers open, that’s where the bright colors come from," he says.

Harvesting for Dried Bundles

If you plan to store and display your lavender as a dry bundle or part of a dried floral arrangement, you should harvest it early in the season, when the very first blossoms begin to open. "That way you’ll have the most color," Anthony says. "As the lavender flowers sit in the field, the sun bleaches the color out."

Harvesting for Tea and Culinary Uses

For culinary uses, you’ll want to harvest before those vibrant colors fully emerge to maintain potency, according to Anthony. "That’s because you’re using the bud, and you want that bud to be intact," he says. "You want to have that flavor and potency [and] as much of the natural oils retained as possible."

Harvesting for Oil Extraction and Infusions

Using your lavender to make essential oils or infusions? You’ll have to wait a bit longer than recommended for other uses. Anthony suggests holding off on harvesting until the flowers are fully open. "The surface of the flower is greater, so it’s going to be easier to extract the oils," he says.

How to Dry and Store Lavender 

Lavender stores well when dry, making it easy to hold on to that relaxing scent for several years. The key to a properly dried lavender? Make sure it’s dry from the start, and keep bundles small. "If you’re going to be drying your lavender, bundle it in bundles no larger than 1 to 1.5 inches in diameter," Anthony says. "Anything larger than that, you run the risk of mold growing inside your lavender bundle."

Both Moussa and Anthony recommend hanging your bundles upside down in a cool space that has steady air circulation, avoiding humidity. You can use a rack with ropes or get creative and hang it around your home as it dries. 

The process typically takes about a week but can vary based on humidity, moisture in the plant, and the size of your bundle. When is it done drying? Anthony looks for bright green stems to fade to brown and take on a brittle quality. 

Once your lavender is dried, you can store it in an airtight container until it’s ready for use or leave it banded for a calming addition to your home decor.