Lavender
Common names English Lavender, lavender
Latin name Lavendula angustifolia
Life cycle Perennial
Height 15-18"
Space 2-3' apart
Bloom Mid summer to early fall
Light Full sun
Soil Well-drained, slightly alkaline, light
Features Fragrant flowers and foliage
Attracts butterflies and bees
Fragrance
Dried lavender flowers and leaves continue to give off fragrance for years and have been used for centuries in sachets, scented soaps, perfumes and aromatic tobaccos. It has been used since ancient time to scent clothes and linens, in clothes chests to repel moths and hung in rooms to drive away flies and mosquitoes.

Ornamental
This plant has compact silver-green leaves and intense deep lavender blue flowers which combine well with many native xeric and hardy perennials. Lavender looks good standing all by itself and makes a good specimen plant for an herb or rock garden. It's also excellent for edging sidewalks and paths where the fragrance can be enjoyed. It makes a beautiful hedge for a formal herb garden or rose garden. It works well planted near the foundations of house where it gets winter protection and the soil is slightly alkaline from the limestone.

Medicinal
Health authorities in Germany recommend lavender as a mild sedative for insomnia and tension headaches. Herbalists recommend lavender for acne, burns, athlete's foot and other skin ailments. The compound linalool is a key component of lavender oil and has been found to slow nerve impulses which helps ease pain, tension, and muscle spasms, and induce sleep.

To make a calming tea: Use 1 teaspoon of dried lavender flowers or 1 tablespoon of fresh flowers for every cup of tea. Pour boiling water over the flowers and cover the cup and let steep for 10 minutes. Drink one cup 2 to 3 times daily. Or use the tea as an antiseptic wash on the skin. Let the tea cool and soak a cotton ball in it and dab it on the skin or used as a compress. Lavender compresses are used to treat bruises and bites in France and Spain. Add a cup of lavender tea to the bath water, or toss a couple tea bags or cotton cloth bags of dried lavender into the bathtub for a relaxing bath.

Culinary
The flowers are the plant parts use as a culinary herb. Add lavender flowers to sugar, honey, jellies, salads, dressings, soup, wine and vinegar. You can make lavender vinegar for salads by infusing whole lavender flower stalks in white vinegar for several weeks. English lavender has a sweet lemon-floral taste, but other lavender species have more camphor and can taste medicinal. English lavender cultivars with the darkest flower buds are said to be the most flavorful for culinary use. Use it sparingly because lavender is intense and too much can taste soapy.

Culture
Lavenders prefer full sun and well-drained gravelly soil. They do not like the combination of heat and high humidity. The plants need to be routinely watered until they are established. Lavender has deep roots and is drought tolerant once established. Lightly pruning the old woody growth every year in the spring will keep the plants more compact. Don't cut off old wood until you see new shoots emerging on the branches in the spring. Lavender has a tendency to give up and die if it is pruned back before the new shoots have broken in the spring. If you don't want to sacrifice blooms by pruning in spring, you can shear them back after they flower. Most ornamental cultivars will require replacing at least every ten years, and if not trimmed annually will probably decline sooner.

Harvest
 You can harvest the lavender flowers from bud stage to fully opened. The flowers can be tied in bundles and hung in a warm airy place or laid on screens or paper towels to dry. After the flowers are dried they can be stripped off and stored in airtight containers away from heat and light.

Caution
English lavender is generally recognized as safe for human consumption, but should be used in moderation. There are no known side effects or harmful interactions.

Other Common Names
Common lavender, fragrant lavender, garden lavender, true lavender


References

Bremness, L.  1994.  The Eyewitness Handbook of Herbs.  DK Publishing, Inc., 
	New York, NY.  page 112

Carlson, M.  2000.     Herbs for the Pacific Northwest.  Steller Press Limited,
	Vancouver, British Columbia. pages 143-146.

Clevely, A. and K. Richmond. 1995.  The Complete Book of Herbs.  Smithmark
	Publishers,  New York, NY.  page 94-95.

Collins, B.L. and F.A. Giles.  1998.  Landscaping Herbs  Stipes Publishing L.L.C.
	pages 83-84.

Halloran, K.  2000.  "Fragrant, Time-Honored Lavender" in  Organic Gardening.  
	Rodale Press Inc. Publication, Emmaus, PA. July/August page 24. 

Hobbs, C.  1998.  Herbal Remedies For Dummies.  IDA Books Worldwide, Inc.,
	Foster City, CA.  page 285.

Kowalchik, C. and W. H. Hylton.  1998  Rodales's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs. 
	Rodale Press, Inc.,  Emmaus, PA.  pages 350-353.

Pahlow, M.  1993  Healing Plants.    Barron's Educational Series, Inc, Hauppauge, NY. 
	pages 180-182.

Small, E.  1997.  Culinary Herbs.  NRC Research Press, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. 
	pages 309-316.

Sturdivant, L. and T. Blakley.  1999.  Medical Herbs in the Garden, Field, and 
	Marketplace.  San Juan Naturals, Friday Harbor, WA.  pages 210-211.

Sunset Books and Sunset Magazine editors.  1995.  Herbs  Sunset Publishing 
	Corporation, Menlo Park, CA.  page 64-65.


©2001 Beth's Backyard

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