The lavender blooms in Provence from mid-June to the end of July – but not everywhere at the same time. Here are the fields, the weeks, and the difference between lavender and lavandin, from Valensole to Sault.
In this story · 5 sections
The lavender fields are Provence's most iconic image, and they really do exist – but only for a few weeks each year. The flowering season runs from mid-June to the end of July, peaking in early July, and it follows the altitude: the plains bloom first and the high plateaus last. Anyone planning their trip around the lavender should know where to be and when.
The information in this guide comes from regional sources on cultivation. Flowering varies with the weather from year to year, and the harvest can come earlier in a warm summer. More about the villages can be found on VERA PI's map of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence.
01Lavender or lavandin
Most of what flowers in Provence is not true lavender. Fine lavender, Lavandula angustifolia, grows naturally at 600 to 1,500 metres above sea level and produces the finest oil. Lavandin is a hybrid that thrives at lower altitudes, has several spikes per stem and yields around three times as much essential oil. Lavandin accounts for around 90 per cent of the cultivated area in the region, and it is this variety you see in the large, straight fields on the Valensole plateau.
02The Valensole plateau: mid-June to mid-July
The plateau around Valensole in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence is the most famous lavender area. Here, the fields bloom from mid-June to mid-July, and the harvest usually begins around 20 July. The roads across the plateau run straight through the fields, and it is here that you see the long purple rows with a lone stone house or a tree in the middle. Valensole holds a lavender festival in July.
Valensole is located near Lac de Sainte-Croix and the Gorges du Verdon, and a trip here can be combined with a day by the lake. According to VERA PI, the villas in Valensole have a median of 2,316 euros per square metre – see VERA PI's page about Valensole.
03The Luberon and Sénanque: the end of June
In the Luberon, most fields bloom at around the same time, at the end of June, and on the high plateau the lavender is harvested around 15 July. The most photographed spot is the field in front of the Cistercian abbey of Sénanque, founded in 1148, north of Gordes. Arrive early in the morning: the field is small, and by lunchtime it is packed with visitors. Remember that the abbey is an active monastery.
04Sault and the Albion plateau: until the end of July
The lavender blooms longest on the high plateaus. Around Sault in Vaucluse, on the Albion plateau roughly 800 metres above sea level, the blooming can continue until the end of July or the beginning of August. Here more of the fine lavender is grown, and the fields lie with Mont Ventoux in the background. Sault celebrates its lavender festival in mid-August. House prices in the village can be found on VERA PI's page about Sault.
Around Forcalquier and Digne, the fields can also bloom until the beginning of August, while the lavandin in the Drôme provençale around Grignan starts blooming as early as mid-June.
05How to visit the fields
The fields are private land and the growers' workplace. Do not walk between the rows, do not pick the flowers, and do not park on the edge of the field. Many farms and distilleries welcome visitors and sell oil, honey and dried bouquets, and it is better to buy directly from the grower than to take flowers from the field. The best light is found early in the morning and in the hour before sunset.
At a glance
Flowering at a glance
| Area | Flowering | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Grignan, Drôme provençale | From mid-June | Lavandin on the plain |
| Valensole plateau | Mid-June to mid-July | Harvest around 20 July |
| Luberon, the high plateau | Late June to mid-July | Harvest around 15 July |
| Sault and Albion | Until the end of July or early August | Lavender festival in mid-August |
| Forcalquier and Digne | Until early August | – |
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