When to plant lavender in Raleigh, North Carolina

March 28 – April 11

Transplant outdoors · typical Raleigh year

Climate basis: NOAA station Raleigh State Univ, NC (USC00317079), 4 mi (6 km) from downtown Raleigh (ZCTA 27601 centroid), elevation 400 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 28). One year in ten still freezes after April 12.

Last spring freezeMarch 281-in-10 after Apr 12
First fall freezeNovember 81-in-10 before Oct 28
Frost-free season229 daysmedian at 32°F
Hard freeze, 28°Mar 14Nov 23kills even hardy greens
USDA zone8a10 to 15°F winter low not frost timing

The Raleigh year

Transplant outdoorsMar 28 – Apr 11
  • indoors under lights
  • in the garden
  • frost-free season
  • 1-in-10 years still freeze to Apr 12
Lavender in Raleigh · freeze context from Raleigh State Univ, NC, 1991–2020 normals.

Every method, with its sources

Transplant outdoors

Mar 28 – Apr 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 (Mar 28). 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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