Dadgum, another post that didn't "take"!

So I'll try again.

It is not too hot for either. I see a lot of red-hot poker in gardens here so it apparently does fine. I'm not asthetically drawn to it, so have never grown it myself. The issue with lavender where I live on the northeast Piedmont is not the heat, it is our clay soil. I've grown lavender successfully in raised beds filled with purchased sandy loam. It did well, but was short-lived, and had to be replaced every 2-4 years.    I have an acquaintance north of town who commercially specializes in lavender. She has heavily amended her fields to promote good drainage, and also finds the plants are not long-lived, though "Spanish" lavender appears to do better than "English" varieties.