English Lavender, Common lavender
Lavandula angustifolia

Family: Lamiaceae

What it is like

A herb. Plants grow to 60 cm high and spread to 40 cm wide. The branches are grey-brown. The bark comes of in long layers. The leaves are grey-green. The leafy shoots are short and the flowering shoots are long. The flowers are usually in violet-blue spikes. There are leaves widely spaced on the flowering shoots. The leaves are clustered on the leafy shoots. The leaves are 3-5 cm long by 3-5 cm wide on the flowering shoots and more narrow on leafy shoots. The leaf edges turn up. There are 6-10 flowers on spikes 3 cm long. There are 4 nutlets. They are smooth.

There are about 28 Lavandula species.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. It suits dry exposed sunny positions. It needs a well drained alkaline soil. It is a plant that can withstand frost. It does not suit the tropics or very humid areas. It does best in cool or warm climates with a winter rainfall. It grows between 600-1200 m altitude in southern Europe. It suits hardiness zones 5-10.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Andorra, Asia, Australia, Balkans, Britain, Canada, China, Congo DR, Crimea, Croatia, Europe, France, Greece, India, Indonesia, Italy, Mediterranean, New Zealand, North America, Pakistan, SE Asia, Serbia, Spain, Switzerland, Tasmania, Yugoslavia

How it is used for food

Fresh or dried flowers and leaves can be used can be used to flavour jellies, ice cream and cheeses. The leaves, petals and flowering tips are added to salads, dressings, soups, stews, jams and jellies. The flowers can be candied and used as garnish in soft drinks. Fresh or dried flowers are used for tea. It yields an essential oil used as flavouring in food manufacture.

It is cultivated.

Edible parts

Flowers as flavouring, herb, spice, leaves - tea, oil

How it is grown

Seeds often take a long time to germinate. Also seeds do not always breed true to type. Plants are better grown from cuttings. A 4 cm tip cutting with a base of old wood is what is best used for cuttings. If flowers are removed during the first year tougher bushier plants result.

The flowers are harvested in the early morning.

Its other names

Local names

Espigol, Lavanda, Lavender, San giuan, True Lavender, Xun yi cao

Synonyms

Lavandula officinalis Chaix; Lavandula spicata L.; Lavandula vera DC;