Lavender, English Lavender, or True Lavender

(Lamiaceae [also known as Labiatae] - Mint Family)

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• Form
  • small, herbaceous to semi-woody, semi-evergreen perennial or perennial herb
  • maturing at 1.5' tall by 1.5' wide
  • upright clump growth habit

• Culture
  • full sun to partial sun
  • performs best in full sun in an evenly moist, moderately rich, deep, well-drained soil that promotes deep root growth that will assist in Winter hardiness, but is adaptable to various soils and soil pHs
  • propagated by vegetative stem cuttings taken in Summer, clump division, or seeds
  • Mint Family, with few disease or pest problems, but Winter dieback and hardiness can be a concern in the colder areas of its range
  • moderately available as a landscape perennial, but commonly available as a perennial herb, in container form
  • best if sheared back about one-third immediately following the bloom period, with annual thinning of the number of stems on mature, woody plants

• Foliage
  • gray-green to green-purple in the Summer (depending upon cultivar) and silver-green to gray-bronzed in the Winter
  • leaves have a somewhat stippled appearance on their surfaces, and are semi-evergreen
  • lanceolate to linear primary leaves are opposite to whorled, and often contain tufts of miniature foliage in the leaf axils
  • aromatic when brushed against or crushed

• Flowers
  • blue-purple, lavender, violet-blue, or white-pink, depending upon cultivar
  • wispy inflorescences adorn the tips of each upright stem from late June through early August, creating drifts of "cool" colors that sway in the Summer breezes
  • flowers (and subsequent fruits) can be harvested to make very aromatic potpourris and sachets

• Fruits
  • ornamentally insignificant, but dead-heading the spent flowers and immature fruits will prolong the season of bloom

• Twigs
  • young stems are four-sided, but become thicker, rounded, rough, and semi-woody with age (Lavender is sometimes classified as a sub-shrub)

• Trunk
  • not applicable

• ID Summary
  • silvery-gray semi-evergreen Winter foliage
  • opposite linear stippled primary leaves, often with miniature secondary leaves in the leaf axils
  • square upright stems densely arranged above the crown and becoming semi-woody with age
  • fragrance of all above-ground structures when cut or crushed

• Function
  • formal or informal edging perennial along walkways, raised walls, and borders; also planted in beds, at foundations, and in drifts of mass plantings
  • the "queen of herbs" for herb gardens

• Texture
  • fine texture
  • thick density

• Assets
  • showy and dense Summer flowering in cooler color shades
  • silvery to gray Winter semi-evergreen foliage
  • fine-textured aromatic foliage and flowers
  • alternative usages of this landscape perennial as a perennial herb or for aromatic sachets and potpourris

• Liabilities
  • shearing and some thinning is needed immediately after the bloom period is finished to promote compactness and vigor for the following season
  • hardiness and dieback in its northern range during severe Winters

• Habitat
  • zones 5 to 9
  • native to the Mediterranean

• Alternates
  • annual or perennial herbs, especially those that can be utilized for potpourris, sachets, and dried flowers (Artemisia species, Pelargonium cultivars [annual Scented Geraniums], Rosmarinus officinalis, etc.)
  • perennials noted for their semi-evergreen to evergreen foliage (Helleborus orientalis, Iberis sempervirens, Saponaria ocymoides, etc.), especially those with a gray or silvery Winter cast (including the living or dead stems/foliage of Artemisia species, Festuca ovina glauca, Perovskia atriplicifolia, Senecio cineraria, etc.)

• Variants
  • Lavandula angustifolia 'Hidcote' - 15" to 20" tall, with silver-gray foliage and deep violet-blue inflorescences
  • Lavandula angustifolia 'Munstead' - 12" tall, having pink-purple to lavender-blue inflorescences that are slightly fragrant

• Translation
  • Lavandula translates as "to wash", referring to an extract of Lavender being used as an oil in the bath (the oil can also be used as a perfume).
  • angustifolia translates as "narrow-leaved".

• Purpose
  • Lavender is a landscape perennial that can also be used as a perennial herb that may be harvested for use in potpourris, sachets, and as a dried flower.

• Summary
  • Lavandula angustifolia is known as a semi-evergreen perennial with summer-blooming cool-colored flowers that can be used ornamentally in the landscape, or as an herb for dried flowers, in potpourris, or in sachets.