Lavender is a great scented plant. I've had some for many years. I'm having a renewed interest in them, so I've been reading up. Lavender is a good xeriscape plant, doing best with minimal watering, having waxy, scented leaves, deer resistant, rabbit resistant, and appealing to sense of smell as well as sight. Types of lavender. English Lavender. Lavandula angustifolia. Also called true lavender. Despite its name, English lavender originates in Spain, France, Italy, Croatia, and not England. Does best in Mediterranean climates, dry summer, wet winter. survives in US to zone 6 through 8 although I've also seen reports that it can survive in Zone 4. Some consider English lavender to have the most refined scent. link to image - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lavandula_angustifolia_-_Köhler–s_Medizinal-Pflanzen-087.jpg French Lavender. Lavandula dentata. Despite its name, French lavender is native to the Mediterranean basin, Eritria, Ethiopia, Yemen, and the Arabian Peninsula. Also, sometimes Lavandula stoaches is called French Lavender. Milder scent than English lavender. French lavender isn't as cold tolerant as English lavender. French Lavender needs a warmer climate than English, surviving zones 8 through 11. Some cultivars may survive Zone 7. link to image - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lavandula_dentata1.jpg Spanish Lavender. Lavandula stoechas. All I could find was that these were named for the Stoechas islands, off SE France, discovered by ancient Greek pharmacologist doctor Pendanius Dioscorides. Wikipedia says Mediterranean basin. It's considered a weed in parts of Spain, and invasive in parts of Australia. Hardy in US Zones 8 - 10. link to image - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavandula_stoechas#/media/File:Lavandula_stoechas_1.JPG Portuguese Lavender. Lavandula latifolia. Native to the Western Mediterranean, including parts of Central Portugal, Spain, Southern France, and Northern Italy. Stronger, more pungent scent than English Lavender. Survives US Zones 8 - 10. Lavendin. Lavandula x intermedia, but sometimes called Dutch lavender These are hybrids of English lavender x Portuguese lavender. Grown mainly for producing lavender oil. Stronger scent than the others, but considered a bit sharp. (I tried to link to wikipedia descriptions. the info is from there and various other websites). I think it's kind of odd, none of the geographic - related common names really matches to the precise origin of that species. There are so many varieties, I think the details of size and flower appearance are better left to the label or nursery descriptions, instead of the species. For places with colder winters, English lavender seem like a better choice. Most reports state that Lavender prefers well drained soils, and relatively drier climates. It seems to do fine here, where the winters are very rainy. They claim that cuttings are easy. Layering is easier and gives a bigger plant with less care. That seems like a good idea. I'm trying some cuttings now. I have had some layer themselves, giving new plants. They should be pruned each Spring, back to a bit above the start of last year's growth. That will keep them tidier and less sprawling. Apparently, they tend to not survive extreme pruning, back to leafless wood. They need tenderer new growth to make new growth. Later, will see if I can add a couple of photos of mine, to avoid copyright issues.
Here are a couple of images. I don't have the variety names any more. French Lavender. English Lavender Spanish Lavender.
Daniel Great information on the many faces of lavender. A great topic of discussion. Lavender plants are hardy and they grow in any soil as long as it has good drainage. I have English , French and Spanish. I would like to try fernleaf lavender Lavandula pinnata. There are so many uses for lavender , let me count the ways. I like to collect the flowers and leaves let dry , then spread the dried lavender on the floor when I vacuum this is a great way to freshen up the house. Make sachets for closets and clothing drawers good to keep moths away. Even collect lavender with wisteria flowers dried together and toss at bride and grooms at weddings. Lavender icecream recipe’s and teas online. Lavender oils for spicing up oils for hand spas and treat dry skin. Lavender oil used in a diffuser in any room is a great way to relax it has a calming effect. Bath salts and bath oils. Not only is lavender deer proof it’s also mole, vole, mice , ground squirrel proof. Next time I start a garden I will start with rows of lavender to surround the garden just to keep the deer out. Daniel you posted your plants while I was writing this post. I wanted to add how beautiful your plants are and just seeing them I swear I can smell them.
Thanks for your thoughts, Pac. I enjoy strongly scented plants. Also ones with distinctive foliage. I hope these will flourish through the winter, and next year too.
Daniel—Very good posting. I haven’t read anything about Lavender in donkeys ears. I used to grow some and even tried to propagate some. Some types of Lavender grows over here in some gardens, but I believe that the conditions are ideal. Nettie, who gardened a few gardens up from us used to let me prune hers to use in my bee smoker. I imagined that they were calmer when I used the stems and heads with the wood shavings or egg cartons. Anyway Daniel— this posting of yours is laid out well and gives us insight to the world of the Lavender plant. I think your posting can help folks choose the type of plant they may want to try in a container or garden plots. Well done for this helpful article. p.s. I liked the pics you added.
Daniel, a lot of information about lavender and thanks, i found that the English lavender does well in my garden, I've got some that's self seeded in the tarmac path by my border. The seeds got into some cracks.
