Lavender is a species of the Lamiaceae family and is found in Mediterranean areas, northern and eastern Africa, and also Southwest Asia. They are shallow-rooted herbs with minimal growing capacity. They demand full sun and well-drained soil with sufficient air circulation.
If you have a lavender plant in your house and want to know how its roots spread. Let’s explore.
Lavender Root System Explained
Lavender plants are shallow-rooted shrubs that require direct sunlight and proper air circulation inside the soil. They grow well in sandy and rocky soil. They are not invasive in nature and spread within the growing range. The roots grow up to 8-10 inches inside the soil.
Walk through this section and find out about the root system of the following lavender plants –
English lavender:
English lavenders are herbaceous perennials with a moderately growing habit. These are found in Mediterranean areas. They are shallow-rooted perennials. Their roots can grow up to 8-10 inches inside the soil.
They grow well in dry, sandy and rocky soil. They can tolerate mild acidic soil structure. The air circulation inside the soil should be sufficient. Besides, the soil should be well-drained. They cannot grow well in moist and water-clogged soil. Clogged water may result in root rotting.
English lavenders can thrive in cold weather as well, even better than French lavenders. Their roots are frost-hardy tolerants. The roots of English lavender can absorb nutrients from hardy soil as well.
Lavender twist weeping redbud:
Lavender twist weeping redbuds are also known as ‘Covey’ eastern redbud. They are found in northern American areas including Canada and Mexico. They are also very popular in south eastern regions of America.
Lavender twist weeping redbuds are the dwarf variety of lavender. Their growth rate is moderate and grows up to 5 to 6 ft. tall, 6 to 8 ft. wide. Their growth habit is weeping. They produce pink flowers and bloom during the early spring season.
They grow best in moist and well-drained soil in direct sunlight. But on hot days, they should be kept apart from afternoon sunlight. They are cold tolerant. They can thrive even in freezing temperatures.
Does lavender have deep roots?
Lavender is a northern African herb that grows in mountainous regions. This herb serves numerous purposes. It is mainly used to produce essential oil. The oil has both cosmetic and therapeutic properties.
However, lavender is a shallow-rooted herb. The roots do not spread deeper into the soil. It requires full sunlight for the better production of flowers. But, they can also survive in freezing conditions. They are frost-hardy perennials.
Proper drainage of water is the key to the successful production of lavender. The lavenders grow best in sandy and rocky soil. Poor drainage of soil causes root rot.
How Deep Are Lavender Roots?
Lavender plants are known for their cosmetics and medicinal benefits. These plants grow in northern African areas. Mountainous regions with sandy and rocky soil are the best suited for the growth of this plant.
Soil with a proper drainage system is required for the better production of plants and flowers. The poor drainage system may cause root rot. Lavender thrives under direct sunlight. In hot summer areas, they may benefit from afternoon shade.
Lavender’s root system is relatively shallow, as they can reach only 8-10″ in-depth and, to be safe, roughly the same diameter as the mature plant’s drip line.
Does lavender have a shallow root system?
Yes, lavender has a shallow root system. The roots do not spread deeper into the soil. They roughly reach 8-10 inches inside the soil. Because they require a significant amount of sunlight.
They may survive in the afternoon mild sun, but the health of the flowers will be affected negatively.
Shallow roots grow better in sandy and rocky soil. Lavender plants require a well-drained soil structure. Rot root can be caused by trapped water in the soil. Lavender resists moist and humid conditions. There should be adequate air circulation within the soil.
How big are Lavender roots?
Lavender roots are not big. They roughly spread up to 8- 10 inches or the same as the mature plant’s drip line. So, they don’t spread deeper into the soil. They are basically shallow roots compared to the other herbs.
Lavender roots are relatively small because they require direct sunlight significantly. On hot summer days, lavenders can thrive in the afternoon sun. But for the considerable production of flowers, direct sunlight is mandatory.
Lavender roots are frost-hardy perennials. They can also thrive in freezing temperatures. Small roots of lavender require enough space for air circulation and dry air.
What kind of root system does lavender have?
Lavender plants are compact, branching, and spreading shrubs with gray-green leaves and long-blooming buds. The root system of lavender is shallow and invasive. They usually require direct sunlight but can also thrive in freezing temperatures.
Well-drained spacious soil structure is mandatory for the survival of lavender. They are found in mountainous areas of northern Africa. However, lavender has the following root system-
Depth of root:
Lavenders can not grow much deeper. They are shallow-rooted. They spread within the range of 8-10 inches inside the soil or roughly extend like the diameter of the dripline of mature plants.
Invasiveness of root:
Lavender roots are not considered invasive. They have a minimal range of growing areas and do not trespass the surrounding area. On average, a diameter of 8-10 inches is the growing area of lavender roots.
Temperature tolerance of root:
Usually, lavenders require direct sunlight and heat. But they are also frost-hardy perennials. So they can thrive in freezing temperatures. Rocky and sandy soil with enough space for air circulation help lavender survive the cold temperature. They resist moist and humid air.
These are major characteristics of lavender roots.
Are Lavender Roots Invasive?
An invasive species is an organism that spreads or expands its range beyond where it was first introduced. It has the potential to have negative consequences for the environment, the economy, or human health.
You should consider the invasiveness of lavender plants while transferring them to the garden like other plants. But fortunately lavender is not really invasive in gardens.
They are shallow-rooted and grow slowly, so the likelihood of them overtaking your garden is minimal to none. Even if they grow and spread, they maintain their growing range and do not cross it.
Can Lavender roots damage foundation or pipes?
Lavender roots are quite unusual to break through the side of a foundation or pipes. If the roots grow close to the foundation under the soil, they might cause damage.
But, lavender root systems are shallow. They are not considered invasive. They do not grow and spread much. An average of 8-10 inches is the growing range of lavender roots inside the soil. Therefore, they can barely reach the foundations’ base.
So, lavender can cause damage only if the foundation or pipe is close to the roots. To avoid this circumstance, a distance of around 10-12 inches needs to be maintained from the foundations and pipes.
Do Lavender spread or multiply?
Like any other plant, lavender roots spread as well. The average range of root spread is approximately 8-10 inches. These plants are shallow-rooted and maintain their growth inside the soil.
Lavender doesn’t spread much inside the soil because they require a significant amount of sunlight. So, a well-drained soil structure with plenty of space and direct sunlight is mandatory for lavender.
However, lavenders can be multiplied as well by cutting. You can pull away the side branches from the main stem and plant them in a pot. This way, you can multiply the lavenders.
Does lavender need deep soil?
No, lavender does not require deep soil. There are many reasons behind it. Lavenders are basically shallow-rooted herbs and roots spread within a minimal range. So they do not need deep soil to grow.
Depth of roots:
A range of 8-10 inches is the growing range of lavender. They do not spread much inside the soil. For this reason, they do not need deep soil.
Invasiveness:
Invasiveness means the tendency of spreading and trespassing the surrounding area. Lavenders are not invasive in nature. They do not spread that much to cross their growing range. So, lavender doesn’t need deep soil.
Final Thoughts
Lavender roots are not invasive. In fact, the root can only grow up to 8-10 inches. They also spread within this growing range. Especially in sandy and rocky soil, these plants can grow well. When provided direct sunlight and proper air circulation in the soil these shallow-rooted shrubs can grow.