Variety: Loddon Pink
Species: Lavandula angustifolia (English lavender)
Colour: Pale silvery pink — softer and more muted than Rosea, with a slightly washed-out quality in strong sun
Foliage: Evergreen, aromatic, silvery-grey
Height: 45–60cm (18–24in)
Spread: 45–60cm
Flowering: Late June to August
Scent: Sweet, clean English lavender scent — good for drying and probably for cooking, though Munstead is the better choice for the kitchen
Hardiness: Fully hardy throughout the UK
RHS AGM: Under review — it has held one in the past
Introduced: Selected at Loddon Nurseries, Berkshire, mid-20th century
Sold as: Pot-grown plants (P9, 2L & 5L available depending on season)
Plant outdoors: From late April in the south. May is safer further north or on heavier ground
Delivered: From April/May, weather dependent

Loddon Pink — The Faded Linen of the Lavender World

Most people picture lavender as purple. Fair enough. But Loddon Pink belongs to a different colour family altogether, and it changes the feel of a planting scheme. The flowers are a pale, dusty pink that looks almost silver from a distance, closer to old linen than to anything you would call rosy. Stand next to it in full sun and the colour can bleach out to near-white at the petal tips while the base stays pink. In overcast weather — which is to say, most of the British summer — the pink holds better, and the flowers look richer. One of those plants that actually prefers our climate to a Mediterranean one, at least visually.

In terms of habit, Loddon Pink sits right in the middle of the English lavender range: roughly the same height as Hidcote and Munstead, compact enough for a path edge or low hedge, and tidy enough that it does not need constant attention. The flower spikes are a bit smaller than Hidcote's, and the overall effect is quieter. That is the point. Loddon Pink earns its place by calming things down rather than shouting about itself, and alongside darker varieties it makes them look even deeper by contrast. We have seen it used as a single-variety hedge on a Bath stone wall, and it looked as though it had always been there.

A Berkshire Nursery Selection

Loddon Pink was selected at Loddon Nurseries in Twyford, Berkshire, sometime around the middle of the last century. The nursery, run by Thomas Carlile and later his family, was well known for introducing good garden plants with local names. Loddon Lily (Leucojum aestivum 'Gravetye Giant') and Loddon Blue (a Veronica) both came from the same stable. The lavender was picked out for its unusually pale, clean pink colouring and its neat, even growth habit. It has been in cultivation long enough now that nobody argues about its hardiness or its reliability, and it appears in the RHS mixed lavender hedge trial at Wisley, where it typically performs well alongside the purples and whites. By the way, it also turns up in our own mixed English lavender hedge pack for exactly that reason.

If we have a criticism, and we should be honest about this, Loddon Pink does not photograph well. The colour is too subtle for a phone camera and it can look washed out in pictures where Hidcote glows purple. In person, it is a different matter. Visitors to the nursery often walk straight past the Hidcote to look at the pink ones, then ask what they are.

Planting Companions

A row of Loddon Pink behind a gravel path with Stachys byzantina (lamb's ears) spilling over the edge is one of the best soft-pink-and-silver combinations you can do without spending much money. Arctic Snow planted alternately with Loddon Pink gives you a pale, almost monochrome hedge that looks deliberate rather than timid. Dianthus 'Mrs Sinkins' or any old cottage pinks fill the gap at the front nicely and flower at around the same time. For something taller behind, rosemary provides the dark green backdrop that stops the whole border from looking a bit washed out. Salvias, Nepeta, and Perovskia all work if you want blue running through the pink, though we would keep the blue to one variety rather than throwing the whole catalogue at it.

Why Buy from Ashridge?

Your Loddon Pink lavender is grown here in the UK and dispatched when soil conditions are right for planting. We deliver by next-day courier and every plant is guaranteed. Our team of gardeners here in Somerset are real people who answer the phone and know their angustifolias from their intermedias. Browse our full English lavender collection or see all our lavender plants. We hold a Feefo Platinum Service Award, which means our customers gave it to us, not us to ourselves.

Frequently Asked Questions

Our blog on growing lavender covers the full picture. These are the questions we get asked most about Loddon Pink.

What is the best lavender for bees and pollinators?

All English lavenders are excellent for pollinators, and Loddon Pink is no exception. Bees do not care about colour — they navigate by scent and ultraviolet patterns, so the pale pink flowers attract just as many visitors as deep purple ones. In our experience, the slightly more open flower structure of Loddon Pink and Munstead makes them fractionally easier for bees to work than the very tight buds of Hidcote, but honestly the difference is marginal. Plant any lavender in full sun and the bees will find it.

Can lavender grow in clay soil?

With help, yes. Lavender needs drainage above all else, and clay holds water, so the two are not natural partners. The trick is to dig in a generous amount of horticultural grit — not sand, grit — and raise the planting area slightly so water drains away from the crown in winter. A handful of grit in the planting hole and a mulch of gravel around the base makes a real difference. On very heavy clay, growing in a raised bed or a large pot is more honest than pretending the soil will cooperate.

How do I dry lavender?

Cut the stems just as the lowest flowers on each spike begin to open — that is when the oil content is at its peak. Tie them in small bunches (about 20 stems) and hang upside down in a warm, dry, dark place for two to three weeks. An airing cupboard works well. Loddon Pink dries to a lovely pale mauve-pink that keeps its colour better than you might expect, and it looks particularly good in mixed bunches with darker dried varieties. Avoid drying in direct sunlight, though, as it bleaches the colour out completely.

Is lavender deer resistant?

About as deer-resistant as any plant can be, yes. Deer dislike the strong aromatic oils in lavender foliage and will typically leave it alone in favour of almost anything else in your garden. Rabbits tend to avoid it too. That said, very young plants with soft new growth can occasionally get nibbled in hard winters when there is nothing else available, so protect newly planted lavender with a bit of netting for the first season if you have a serious deer problem.

What is the difference between English and French lavender?

Three things, mainly. English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia, including Loddon Pink) is fully hardy, flowers in summer, and has a sweet, clean scent. French lavender (Lavandula stoechas) has those distinctive "rabbit ear" petals on top of each flower head, a more resinous scent, and is only borderline hardy in most of the UK — it needs a sheltered spot or a pot you can move under cover in winter. English lavender lives longer too, typically eight to twelve years with good pruning, while French lavender can be short-lived even in mild areas. Our pruning guide covers the annual trim that keeps both types in shape.

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