Types of Lavender
“There are around 30 types of lavender.” says Richard Norris of Long Barn Lavender.
28 Responses to “Types of Lavender”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
“There are around 30 types of lavender.” says Richard Norris of Long Barn Lavender.
You must be logged in to post a comment.
June 22nd, 2007 at 6:45 am
Do you mean classifications of plants called lavender, or actual different species?
June 22nd, 2007 at 8:25 am
Both I suppose , ive heard there are about 30 different ‘types’ of lavender .
July 26th, 2007 at 1:05 pm
Can lavender oil be used as a fuel ? as oil seed rape might ?
August 6th, 2007 at 10:25 pm
Which is the strongest type of lavender ?
August 6th, 2007 at 10:28 pm
French Gusso lavender is pretty potent and it keeps its smell for a long time.
August 6th, 2007 at 10:59 pm
My wife makes lavender cakes, would you believe ?
Lavender is edible if you get the correct variety. Don’t ask me which variety of lavender is used. I just sleep rather well after eating the cakes.
August 6th, 2007 at 11:11 pm
An elderley lady I met today in the Post Office tells me that English lavender is in fact French lavender.
She swears that some lavender has sleep inducing qualities.
May 18th, 2008 at 10:47 am
Types of Lavender:
Hardy Lavenders:
Native to the Mediterranean area, hardy lavender are sometimes known as English lavenders. They are well-suited to English climate conditions and like the long hours of summer daylight without excessive heat. All of the hardy lavenders have gray foliage and flowers arranged in a spike. The flowers are generally lavender in colour.
Hardy lavenders are considered perennials though they can be grown as annuals in areas where they will not winter-over well. They don’t grow quite as tall as the tender lavenders and they flower only once a year. Some of the world’s finest oil of lavender comes from the flowers of these plants. This oil is very intense in fragrance – it is from these plants that we get the lavender oil that is distilled into perfume.
May 18th, 2008 at 11:13 am
Dwarf Munstead Lavender:
Lavandula Angustifolia - (Hardy Lavender) .
This cultivar, named after gardener and garden writer Gertrude Jekyll’s home in England, is the earliest to bloom, showing flowers in the second year from seed. Its flower spikes are a true lavender colour, and the two-lipped flowers are closely packed together at the ends of the stems. It is a low-growing, compact bush with many heads of lavender-blue flowers growing on stems that are about 4 inches in length. A popular variety, Munstead does well in garden beds or can be planted in containers.
May 19th, 2008 at 10:18 am
Folgate Blue Lavender:
Lavandula Angustifolia - (Hardy Lavender) .
‘Folgate Blue’ lavender has a growing habit similar to ‘Dwarf Munstead’ but has bluer flowers and grows into a slightly larger bush.
May 20th, 2008 at 10:44 am
Grey Hedge Lavender:
Lavandula Angustifolia - (Hardy Lavender).
‘Grey Hedge’ lavender is a taller variety than ‘Dwarf Munstead’ or ‘Folgate Blue’, with silver-gray foliage. The flower spikes are thin and pointed, and the flowers are mauve.
May 22nd, 2008 at 8:38 am
Hidcote Purple Lavender:
Lavandula Angustifolia - (Hardy Lavender).
Know for its dark purple spikes, which can be striking in a garden setting, ‘Hidcote Purple’ grows nearly 24 to 30 inches high and has lovely long blossoms.
May 24th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
Old English Lavender:
Lavandula Angustifolia - (Hardy Lavender).
Leaves on ‘Old English’ lavender are broader and greener than those of ‘Grey Hedge’. It has narrow, mauve – coloured flower spikes.
May 25th, 2008 at 9:51 am
Seal Lavender:
Lavandula Angustifolia - (Hardy Lavender).
A tall plant that can reach 36 inches in height under the right growing conditions, ‘Seal’ lavender is a free-flowing plant with very long stems The leaves are gray-green and the flowers a blue-mauve. It can bloom for extended periods of time, up to four months, in gardens where it thrives.
May 26th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
Twickel Purple Lavender:
Lavandula Angustifolia - (Hardy Lavender).
‘Twickel Purple’ lavender is unusual in that its spikes grow in a fan formation. It is smaller than ‘Hidcote Purple’ with long, deep mauve flower spikes.
May 27th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
Broad-leafed Lavender:
Lavandula Latifolia - (Hardy Lavender).
This a much broader-leafed plant that is less free-flowering than those above. It has received the most attention commercially because of its fragrant oil. The foliage of Lavandula Latifolia is a clear gray colour and slender. Branched stalks carry flower spikes similar to those of many lavenders, although they aren’t as showy as most. In France, Lavandula Latifolia is also known as aspic lavender, said to be a name that refers to a belief that small poisonous snakes lived on the plant. But it may be more likely that the name comes from the word ‘espic’ meaning ‘spike’ .
May 28th, 2008 at 5:46 pm
Dutch Lavender:
Lavandula x intermedia - (Hardy Lavender).
Dutch lavender is a cross between Lavandula angustifolia and Lavandula latifolia. It has narrower leaves than the latter and is broader than the former. The flowers are in long, branched spikes. These plants bloom later than the low-growing lavenders and tend to have a good strong scent.
June 1st, 2008 at 2:25 pm
Pink Lavender:
Lavandula Angustifolia ‘Rosea’ - (Hardy Lavender).
Pink lavender has about the same growth characteristics as ‘Folgate Blue’ lavender, upright with narrow leaves. Its flowers, as its name describes, are a light pink that stand out well against the silver-gray foliage.
June 3rd, 2008 at 7:03 pm
White Lavender:
Lavandula Angustifolia ‘Alba’ - (Hardy Lavender).
White lavender has spikes of white flowers. It’s leaves are long compared to other varieties, growing broad and quite silver. It is not abundantly free-flowering but has a pure lavender fragrance. Some white lavender are dwarf, growing to just 6 inches high with short, narrow, gray leaves and tiny heads of white flowers.
June 4th, 2008 at 9:32 am
Woolly Lavender:
Lavandula Lanata - (Hardy Lavender).
Lavandula lanata is a sweet-scented lavender. It is a short shrub, 2 to 3 feet tall, and can grow as wide. The leaves are a light gray, about two inches long, and look thin because the margins are rolled under. The plant has a woolly appearance that comes from many tiny hairs on the leaf and stem surfaces. The flower spike can be up to a foot long, and is unusual in that several small flower heads can grow along the spike. Dark blue flowers cover the heads.
June 4th, 2008 at 9:53 am
Types of Lavender:
Tender Lavenders:
Native to Spain ands southern France, tender lavenders are sometimes known as French lavenders. They are distinguished from other lavenders by the coloured bracts at the tops of the flower heads. These bracts are so showy that they are often mistaken for the flowers , but are really only coloured leaves.
These are known as the “tender” lavenders because they need to grow in full sun and in a richer soil than the hardy varieties. The tender lavenders may grow up to three feet in height in frost-free areas. Flower stems of tender lavenders tend to be more green than gray.
June 9th, 2008 at 11:46 am
Lavandula Stoechas (Tender Lavender)
Lavandula stoechas is the lavender of history that was used as a disinfectant from the time of ancient Rome until the Middle ages. The gray-green pointed foliage of this variety has a distinct pungent, soft camphorous fragrance. The flower spike of lavandula stoechas is compressed into an irregular globe shape on which small lavender flowers hide between flat purple bracts. Two long purple bracts point upward from the top of the flower head, reaching one and a half inches in length. In France, where this varietyis common, the plants grow along the southern coast in acid soils. The plant’s name, stoechas, come from the Stoechades, an ancient name for the islands on the Mediterranean harbour near Hyeres, France.
June 10th, 2008 at 8:10 am
Lavandula Dentata (Tender Lavender)
This plant has dainty green leaves, toothed along the margins. Also called Spanish lavender or French lavender, the fragrance of its foliage is a bit camphorous with a hint of balsam. The small, lavender flowers on long stems open successively on the thin cone-shaped head, which is topped with lavender bracts. They flower prolifically much of the year. The scent is not as lasting as that of the English lavender. In warm conditions, Lavandula detata can grow as much as three feet in height and width if not pruned.
June 11th, 2008 at 2:28 pm
Lavandula Dentata Candicans (Tender Lavender)
Similar to Lavandula Dentata but the foliage is heavier and grayer. Lavandula Dentata Candicans is slightly hardier and a more vigorous grower than Lavandula Dentata but still categorized as a tender lavender.
June 16th, 2008 at 9:33 am
Lavandula Stoechas ‘Pedunculata‘ (Tender Lavender)
This lavender subspecies is also known as Spanish lavender. An upright perennial with long, narrow, green-gray leaves and long, magenta-purple bracts.
June 16th, 2008 at 9:44 am
Lavandula Viridis (Tender Lavender)
Lavandula Viridis, also known as the green lavender, is perennial with long, narrow, sticky green leaves and a pine-lavender scent. It has medium-length stalks. The bracts and the tiny flowers, set in a greenish cone, are creamy white.
June 16th, 2008 at 9:50 am
Lavandula Heterophylla (Tender Lavender)
Lavandula Heterophylla, also known as sweet lavender, has silver-gray leaves which are sometimes toothed along the edges. The plants can grow up to three feet in height and have deep lavender flowers.
June 16th, 2008 at 10:14 am
Other Lavenders :
Lavandula Multifida (Very Tender Lavender)
These lavenders, while not that common, are interesting plants. They have green, fern-like leaves from which the name multifida (meaning ‘much-divided’) comes. The plants are upright in growth with strong, square stems. Flowers occur in winged spikes and are deep lavender. The flowers bloom for up to six months at a time, with most of them coming on in late summer. Native to North Africa and Portugal, these very tender plants need protection in winter.
Lavandula Pinnata (Tender Lavender)
This is a delicate lavender with lilac-blue flowers that will appear almost year-round if the plant is sheltered. It has soft, gray-green leaves. The entire plant is covered with short white hairs giving it a slight fuzzy appearance. Lavandula Pinnata can grow up to three feet in height.