With its silvery leaves and purple flowers, lavender is one of the most beautiful and versatile herbs you can grow. It's also easy to propagate lavender into more plants to use all around your garden. For example, you can use lavender for companion planting and to attract pollinators, and some types of lavender are edible. Follow the step-by-step instructions here for two simple methods—stem cuttings and layering—to propagate your favorite lavender plants.

When to Propagate Lavender

Lavender can be propagated at different times of the year, depending on the propagation technique you use. Most commonly, lavender plants are propagated from softwood cuttings taken from tender plant shoots when the plant is actively growing in spring or summer. However, lavender can also be propagated from more mature, hardwood cuttings clipped from lavender plants in fall or winter.

Both softwood and hardwood cuttings usually yield good results, but softwood cuttings root faster than hardwood cuttings. Many gardeners take lavender cuttings when they prune lavender plants in spring or when lavender stops flowering in mid-summer to fall. Just avoid taking cuttings when lavender is in bloom, as flowers can sap cuttings of energy and make them less likely to root.

Layering lavender takes longer. You’ll get the best results if you try this technique in spring or summer when plants are actively growing.

How to Propagate Lavender with Stem Cuttings

Technically, lavender can be propagated in water, but cuttings will often rot before they root using this method. For this reason, it’s best to propagate lavender from hardwood or softwood cuttings in soil using the following steps.

Step 1: Take cuttings.

Using a sharp, sterilized pair of pruners or scissors, take 3- to 6-inch-long stem cuttings from healthy and mature lavender plants. For best results, take cuttings from straight branches when plants are not in flower and make your cuts at a 45-degree angle just above a leaf node.

Step 2: Remove lower leaves.

To prepare the cuttings for planting, gently strip the leaves away from the bottom 2 inches of the lavender stems. Be sure to leave at least two sets of healthy leaves on the top of each cutting.

Step 3: Add rooting hormone.

Rooting hormone is optional, but it helps cuttings root faster and protects against rot. If you choose to use rooting hormone, dip the cut end of each cutting in water before dabbing it in rooting hormone to help the powder stick to the stem.

Step 4: Plant the cuttings.

Fill small pots or a planting tray with a pre-moistened potting mix. Look for a potting mix with sand or perlite for added drainage.

Poke 1- to 2-inch-deep planting holes in the potting mix with your finger or a pencil, and place one cutting in each hole so that the lavender leaves are above the soil line and the bare stem end is in the soil. Firm the soil around each cutting to keep the stems upright. If you’re propagating multiple cuttings in a single container, space the cuttings 3 to 4 inches apart.

Step 5: Wait for roots.

Move the cuttings to a warm spot that receives bright, indirect light, and water regularly to keep the soil moist but not soggy. Monitor the cuttings for signs of growth and gently pull on the cuttings after a few weeks to see if they’ve rooted. Softwood cuttings typically root in about 2 to 4 weeks, while hardwood cuttings may take 4 to 6 weeks to develop roots.

Step 6: Transplant new lavender plants.

Once the cuttings have rooted, repot them in individual pots or transplant them to your garden and care for them as you do the parent plant.

How to Propagate Lavender by Layering

Propagating lavender using the layering technique takes longer, but it allows you to propagate plants outdoors without any messy rooting hormone or potting mix. Lavender can be layered at different times of the year, but layering in spring or summer when the plants are actively growing is usually best.

Step 1: Prepare the soil.

Brush away any leaves or mulch that cover the soil around an existing lavender plant in your garden where you intend to layer a stem. Mixing a small amount of compost into the soil helps the lavender stems root quicker.

Step 2: Select lavender stems for propagation.

Choose a healthy, flower-free lavender stem to propagate. The stem should be pest-free and at least 6 inches long, but don’t cut it with pruners. With the layering technique, lavender stems stay attached to their parent plants while they root.

Step 3: Remove the lower leaves.

Carefully strip away the lavender leaves around the area of the stem where it will contact the soil.

Step 4: Anchor the stem in place.

Gently bend the stem down so that the leaf-free stem section and at least one node (the point on the stem where leaves emerge) touch the soil. Anchor the stem to the soil with a landscape staple (if needed) and then cover the leaf-free section of the stem with soil and a thin layer of mulch. The top of the stem and all leaves should be above the soil line, and only the bare section of the stem should be buried.

Step 5: Wait for the stem to root.

Layering can take up to a year to produce a rooted lavender plant, so you must be patient. While you wait, keep the soil around the layered lavender well-watered but take care not to overwater the parent plant.

Step 6: Transplant new lavender plants.

After about a year, the bent stem of lavender should have a nice clump of healthy roots. Use sharp pruners to clip the rooted stem from the parent plant and transplant the new lavender plant into a pot or your garden.