When to plant lavender in Charlotte, North Carolina

March 30 – April 13

Transplant outdoors · typical Charlotte year

Climate basis: NOAA station Charlotte Douglas AP, NC (USW00013881), 6 mi (10 km) from downtown Charlotte (ZCTA 28202 centroid), elevation 728 ft, on the 1991–2020 climate normals. Transplant lavender outdoors from approximately the dates above, anchored to the median last spring 32°F freeze (March 30). One year in ten still freezes after April 14.

Last spring freezeMarch 301-in-10 after Apr 14
First fall freezeNovember 31-in-10 before Oct 22
Frost-free season221 daysmedian at 32°F
Hard freeze, 28°Mar 17Nov 14kills even hardy greens
USDA zone8a10 to 15°F winter low not frost timing

The Charlotte year

Transplant outdoorsMar 30 – Apr 13
  • indoors under lights
  • in the garden
  • frost-free season
  • 1-in-10 years still freeze to Apr 14
Lavender in Charlotte · freeze context from Charlotte Douglas AP, NC, 1991–2020 normals.

Every method, with its sources

Transplant outdoors

Mar 30 – Apr 13

Utah State University Extension instructs transplanting after the last spring frost, a point rule encoded per policy as a 14-day span opening at the last-frost date; no reconciliation was needed because this is the entry's only source. Anchored to the median last spring freeze (Mar 30). Utah State University Extension

Start seeds indoors

Not calculated

The cited extension guides do not time an indoor seed-starting window for this crop.

Direct-sow outdoors

Not calculated

Utah State University Extension advises against direct seeding, stating that the germination rate is low and that seeding to transplanting takes between 100 and 200 days.

Fall planting

Not calculated

No source-backed fall planting rule exists for this crop in the registry, so no fall window is calculated.

These windows describe typical years (1991–2020 climate normals), not this year's forecast. Freezes happen outside them — especially in frost pockets, valleys, and urban edges. Watch the forecast before committing tender plants.

This week, not a typical year:
Crop rule sources (1)

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