Northwest Blooms · Shrubs
Lavandula x allardii ‘Meerlo’
Meerlo Lavender
- Family
- Lamiaceae
- Height
- 2 to 3 feet
- Width
- 2 to 3 feet
- Flower color
- Lavender-blue flowers arranged in spikes
- Foliage color
- Silver-gray foliage with a variegated cream-white edge
- Bloom time
- Summer
- Light
- Full sun
- Water
- Low; drought tolerant once established
- Maintenance
- Low; prune after flowering to maintain shape
- Growing zone
- USDA Hardiness Zones 9 to 10
- Wildlife
- Attract pollinators like bees and butterflies
About this plant
Lavandula x allardii 'Meerlo' produces fragrant, pale lavender-blue flower spikes from spring through summer, rising on slender stems above the foliage and attracting bees and other pollinators. Highly aromatic, elongated leaves have soft gray-green centers bordered by irregular creamy yellow margins, with lightly serrated edges that add fine texture. The evergreen foliage forms a dense, rounded mound and releases its distinctive lavender fragrance when brushed or handled, providing ornamental color and scent throughout the year.
Discovered in 2011 by Louis Meerlo as a spontaneous variegated mutation in Waiuku, New Zealand, this cultivar was selected for its distinctive foliage. Its colorful leaves and aromatic character make it especially effective in Mediterranean gardens, borders, containers, courtyards, and along pathways, where the foliage can be appreciated at close range.
Works well in
Sun Gardens · Containers · Borders · Pollinator Gardens
Companion plants
Daphnes · Pearlbush · Bluestars · Rock cress · Pampas Grass · Pasque flower
Design tip
Use ‘Meerlo’ as a foliage accent among darker green plants, where its cream-edged silver-gray leaves will create strong contrast. Position it near the front of a sunny border or in a container so the variegation and fragrance can be appreciated up close.
