I pruned my lavender hard into the woody base like any other shrub: when I saw what came back the next spring, it was too late
Lavender looks like it should handle hard pruning like any other shrub—until you cut into the woody base and watch it die. The culprit isn’t bad luck; it’s plant biology. Here’s why Mediterranean-adapted lavender plays by completely different rules than roses and boxwood, and how to actually save an overgrown plant.