Types of Lavender Plants

Lavender or Lavandula is the genus of flowering plants that belong to the mint family, and are cherished for the heavenly smell of their flowers. There are about 39 species of flowering plants that belong to the genus, lavender. They are native to the regions of North and East Africa, Southern Europe, India, Canary Islands and the Mediterranean regions. Some of the lavender species are herbaceous plants, while a few are considered as shrubs and subshrubs.

Lavender Plants - A Gardener's Delight

There are mainly four different varieties of this plant, which are quite favorite among the gardeners. These four species of lavender plants are, true lavender or English lavender, French lavender, spike lavender and Spanish lavender. Apart from these four types, there is another type of popular lavender, which is known as lavandin. Lavandin is actually a hybrid of spike and the true or common lavender.

True or English Lavender
True lavender is also known as English lavender and common lavender, and its scientific name is Lavandula angustifolia. The USDA plant hardiness zone for true lavender is 5 to 8. English lavender is an evergreen, but slow-growing perennial plant that usually reaches a height of 3 feet with short and slightly crooked stem. The leaves of this plant are narrow, while the flowers are barrel-shaped. The foliage of true lavender are usually gray-green to blue-green in color, while the blossoms come in an array of colors such as, purple, pink, lilac, lavender and even white. English lavender is a hardy plant and is resistant to drought. The sweet and floral scent of true lavender flowers make them an ideal for making perfumes and sachets.

French Lavender
Lavandula stoechas, also known as French lavender is another popular variety of lavender plant, which is basically grown to be used for decorative purposes. This plant can reach a height of about 1 to 3 feet. French lavender plant can be grown in the USDA plant hardiness zones 8 to 9. The foliage of French lavender are serrated and they are green in color. The pinecone shaped lavender blossoms appear in late spring to summer. Another interesting characteristic of these flowers is that they feature dark purple colored bracts, that somewhat resemble the ears of rabbit.

Spike Lavender
Spike lavender or Lavandula latifolia is the type of lavender that looks very similar to English lavender. The only difference is that its leaves are broader than English lavender and it has branched flower stalks. Spike lavender can give about 3 times more essential oil than true lavender, though its fragrance is not valued highly. The fragrance of the essential oil extracted from spike lavender is usually described to be a combination of eucalyptus and lavender oil. This oil is mainly used in insect repellents, soaps, disinfectants and room sprays.

Spanish Lavender
Spanish lavender is a small plant that can be mainly found in the Mediterranean regions and Northern Africa. The plant usually reaches a height of not more than 2 feet. The flowers are deep purple in color and are cone-shaped. They can be distinguished by their upright petals. The flowers of Spanish lavender are known to be highly scented.

Lavandin
Lavandin is the hybrid lavender, obtained by the cross-pollination of true lavender and spike lavender. It is also known by the name of Dutch lavender. Lavandin or Dutch lavender is a hardy, but slow-growing evergreen plant. The plant produces vibrant flowers from early midsummer, which are mainly used for decorative purposes and for herbal crafts and potpourris. The blossoms of this hybrid lavender can be white, lavender or pink in color. The flowers, as well as the leaves of lavandin are highly fragrant. Lavandin yields more oil as compared to common or true lavender, and this oil possesses a strong fragrance. The oil extracted from lavandin is used in a number of products including, massage oils, toiletries, perfumes and many other household products.

Lavender Care

If you are considering to grow lavender in your flower garden, then first of all try to find out the type of lavender that is suitable for growing in the climatic condition of your area. The next important step for growing lavender is to select a planting location that receives sunlight for at least 7 to 8 hours a day. Lavender plants can be grown both from the seeds, as well as from the seedlings. They prefer well-drained and slightly alkaline soil. Being drought resistant, these plants requires only minimal watering, especially once they establish firmly to the ground. However, the young plants should be watered at regular intervals. The mature plants should also be watered regularly in extremely dry conditions. Apart from these, applying a layer sand around the plant is considered by many to promote heat retention, and thus help the plants to produce better blooms.

Lavender plants are used for landscaping, as well as for gardening for their beautiful blossoms. They are suitable to be grown in a rock garden, cottage garden and can also be used for creating low hedges and borders. Apart from these, there can be several other uses such as, the lavender flowers can be used in salads and for cooking. The flower spikes can also be excellent for dried flower arrangement, as well as for making sachets.