When to plant lavender in Portland, Oregon

February 25 – March 11

Transplant outdoors · typical Portland year

Climate basis: NOAA station Portland Kgw-tv, OR (USC00356749), 1 mi (1 km) from downtown Portland (ZCTA 97204 centroid), elevation 159 ft, on the 1991–2020 climate normals. Transplant lavender outdoors from approximately the dates above, anchored to the median last spring 32°F freeze (February 25). One year in ten still freezes after March 21.

Last spring freezeFebruary 251-in-10 after Mar 21
First fall freezeDecember 11-in-10 before Nov 10
Frost-free season280 daysmedian at 32°F
Hard freeze, 28°Jan 31Dec 20kills even hardy greens
USDA zone9a20 to 25°F winter low not frost timing

The Portland year

Transplant outdoorsFeb 25 – Mar 11
  • indoors under lights
  • in the garden
  • frost-free season
  • 1-in-10 years still freeze to Mar 21
Lavender in Portland · freeze context from Portland Kgw-tv, OR, 1991–2020 normals.

Every method, with its sources

Transplant outdoors

Feb 25 – Mar 11

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 (Feb 25). 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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