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Lavandula angustifolia
'Hidcote' Common Names: English Lavender |
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Lavender is one of the most versatile herbs, inspiring poets, gardeners, artists, cooks and healers for hundreds of years. The scent of lavender has long been linked with romance, as Shakespeare's writings exemplify. Aromatic, evergreen grayish foliage. Flowers and stems are used for many crafting projects, particularly potpourris and sachets. Makes a great dried flower, also. May be cut back for another bloom when flowers start to fade. There are over fifteen species of lavender. However, only a few of these are generally available in nurseries. Lavandula angustifolia, meaning narrow leafed, is commonly called English lavender. Sometimes English lavender is also called Lavender officinalis or Lavender vera Officinalis. The word officinalis refers to medicinal plants and the word vera means true. Lavender stoechas is otherwise known as Spanish lavender. Lavandula dentata is referred to as French lavender. A hybrid of Lavender angustifolia and Lavender latifolia which is gaining popularity is Lavandin. Lavender is not demanding if you plant it in a location that meets its basic needs. It needs full, or very nearly full sun. It also despises excess moisture. It is extremely drought tolerant. If you are in the northern portion of its hardiness zone, it benefits from a little extra mulch being put around it in winter. |
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In the early spring give lavender a gentle pruning, clipping only the very tops off of the plants and pruning out any dead wood. When I was still very much a beginner gardener I clipped my first lavender plants to the ground when fall came. This is a common mistake, as most perennials should be cut back to the ground before the new growth emerges in spring. However, lavender's foliage doesn't die back in the winter. Rather, it turns a grayish color. All of my lavender died that winter. I have since learned that rather than clipping lavender to the ground in the fall you leave it standing all winter. In the early spring just snip the very top off of your lavender, only about an inch or so. Your lavender will be very happy and will bloom for years with this minimal care. |
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Provides Cut Flowers