Lavender

Growing Conditions

Growing Zones

Thrives in USDA Zones 5 - 10

Companion Planting

When to Plant

• Transplant

  Spring or early autumn

• Harvest

  Cut flower spikes just as buds begin to open for best scent

Organic Growing Tips

• Plant along vegetable bed borders to attract hoverflies, whose larvae consume hundreds of aphids each.

• Prune back by one-third after first flowering to encourage a second flush of blooms.

• Never cut back into old wood - lavender does not regenerate from bare stems.

• Mulch with fine grit around the base rather than rich organic matter — lavender thrives in lean, alkaline conditions, and grit mulch improves drainage, reduces soil splash onto leaves, and mimics the Mediterranean hillside habitat where lavender evolved.

Common Pests

• Rosemary Beetle
• Leaf-Hoppers
• Root Rot

Taxonomy

Kingdom

Plantae

Family

Mint family (Lamiaceae)

Genus

Lavandula

Species

Lavandula angustifolia

Natural History

Lavandula angustifolia and related Mediterranean species are native to the rocky calcareous soils of the western Mediterranean, growing naturally from the Atlantic coast of Spain through Provence, Italy, and into the Balkans. The genus name derives from the Latin lavare - to wash - reflecting the plant's deep association with bathing and laundry in Roman culture. Lavender was documented by Dioscorides in De Materia Medica in the 1st century CE and appears in the writings of the medieval abbess Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179), who described it as a plant of particular purity in her Physica. The commercial lavender industry centered on Provence dates to at least the 17th century, supplying the perfumery centers of Grasse with raw material for distillation. Modern lavandin (Lavandula × intermedia) is a sterile hybrid between L. angustifolia and L. latifolia developed in the 20th century for essential oil production; it yields significantly more oil than true lavender and now dominates commercial cultivation. The term aromatherapy was coined by the French perfume chemist René-Maurice Gattefossé in his 1937 book of that name, following his experience with lavender oil after a laboratory burn.

Traditional Use

Lavender's association with cleanliness, fragrance, and calm runs from Roman bathing culture through medieval physic gardens to the Provençal perfume industry and modern aromatherapy - a continuous thread of 2,000 years of household and commercial use.

• Roman Bathing Culture - Flowers and flowering tops

  The Latin lavare - to wash - connects lavender directly to Roman bathing practice. Pliny the Elder described its use in bathing preparations, and Roman legions carried lavender as an antiseptic dressing material on campaign. The Romans introduced lavender cultivation to Britain and across northern European territories, establishing it as a cultivated herb associated with Roman cleanliness and household practice throughout the provinces.

• Hildegard von Bingen and Medieval Physic Gardens - Flowers

  The German abbess and polymath Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179) wrote about lavender in her Physica, describing it as a plant of purity and associating its scent with clarity of mind. Medieval monastery physic gardens grew lavender for fragrance, household use, and as a strewing herb - scattered on floors to mask odors and deter insects. Lavender appears consistently in the garden lists of major medieval monasteries across England, France, and Germany.

• Provençal Lavender Industry - Flowering tops

  The lavender fields of Provence became a commercial industry from the 17th century onward, supplying the perfumery centers of Grasse. Steam distillation of lavender flowering tops for essential oil developed into a significant regional economy. The creation of lavandin (Lavandula × intermedia) in the 20th century - a sterile hybrid yielding three times the oil of true lavender - transformed commercial production and is now responsible for the majority of world lavender oil output.

• Gattefossé and the Birth of Aromatherapy - Flowers

  The French perfume chemist René-Maurice Gattefossé coined the term aromathérapie in his 1937 book of that name, following an incident in which he applied lavender essential oil to a chemical burn in his laboratory and observed rapid healing. Whether the account is accurate or embellished, Gattefossé's systematization of essential oil therapeutic use created the modern vocabulary of aromatherapy and drew explicitly on the long lavender tradition in European household and medical culture.

Lavender essential oil is highly concentrated and distinct from garden flowers - undiluted it can irritate skin. Lavender flowers used in culinary quantities are safe as food.

This information is provided for historical and educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making decisions related to your health.

Morphology (Plant Structure & Identification)

• Root System

  Woody perennial roots that require excellent drainage and tolerate lean soil. Root rot is common in wet or rich beds.

• Stem

  Low woody shrub with many branching stems. Plants become woody with age and respond best to light pruning after flowering.

• Leaves

  Narrow gray-green aromatic leaves, often slightly fuzzy or silvery. The foliage scent is strongest in dry sunny conditions.

• Flowers

  Upright spikes of small purple, blue, pink, or white flowers held above the foliage. Flower spikes are a major bee resource.

• Fruit

  Produces small dry nutlets after flowers fade. Named lavender types are usually propagated by cuttings to preserve scent and habit.

Known Varieties

Common cultivars worth knowing

• Munstead

  Compact English lavender with good cold tolerance and fragrant purple flowers.

  Best for: small gardens, edging

• Hidcote

  Compact dark-purple English lavender with dense flower spikes.

  Best for: borders, drying

• Phenomenal

  Hybrid lavender with improved humidity tolerance and strong growth.

  Best for: humid regions

• Grosso

  Lavandin type with long stems and strong fragrance.

  Best for: bundles, pollinators

• Provence

  Tall lavandin with pale fragrant flowers and long stems.

  Best for: large plantings