There are many beautiful pink lavender varieties that thrive outdoors in the right conditions. Lavender is naturally an outdoor plant, and many cultivars have been developed for garden performance, including those with pink flowers.
You'll find pink varieties primarily within these main types of lavender:
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English Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia): This is the most popular type for its sweet fragrance and culinary uses, and it includes several well-loved pink cultivars that do wonderfully outdoors.
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'Hidcote Pink': A classic choice, known for its soft, delicate pink flowers. It's often more compact, making it great for borders or smaller gardens.
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'Miss Katherine': A standout variety that produces abundant light pink flower spikes that hold their color well in sunlight.
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'Jean Davis': Another popular English lavender known for its pale pink, almost white, blooms and fruity taste, making it good for culinary use. It prefers regions without long periods of extreme heat.
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'Rosea': A reliable pink English lavender cultivar.
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'Ellagance Pink': A compact variety with very fragrant, light pink blooms, suitable for various climates (USDA Zones 5-9).
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Spanish Lavender (Lavandula stoechas): This type is famous for its distinctive "bunny ear" bracts on top of the flower spikes. Some cultivars come in various shades of pink.
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'Pretty in Pink': Features striking deep pink blossoms.
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'Lavinnova Frost Pink': Known for bright pink flowers and silvery foliage, with the characteristic "flags" on top.
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'Madrid Lavish Pink': Offers abundant, soft, dusty rose-pink flowers with larger, petal-like bracts. It's heat-tolerant and thrives in full sun.
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'Kew Red': While often described as crimson-pink, it leans strongly into the pink spectrum, topped with pale pink bracts.
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'Bandera Pink': A compact variety with deep pink flower spikes and pale pink tips, ideal for borders and containers.
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'Strawberry Ruffles': Features ruffled, blush-colored petals and berry-hued blooms, showing good heat, humidity, and drought tolerance.
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Lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia): These are hybrids, generally larger plants with stronger scents (often more camphorous), typically grown for essential oil or ornamental hedges. While most are purple, some may have pinkish tones, but true pink cultivars are less common than in English or Spanish varieties. For example, 'Regal Splendour' Spanish Lavender has violet-blue flowers with pinkish-purple bracts.
When planting pink lavender outdoors, remember that all lavenders prefer:
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Full sun: At least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily.
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Well-drained soil: They hate wet feet; sandy or gravelly soil is ideal.
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Good air circulation: This helps prevent fungal issues, especially in humid climates like central Texas.
Pink lavender varieties are a wonderful way to add a different color and a touch of softness to your garden, whether in mixed borders, rock gardens, containers, or as fragrant hedges.
