English lavender

Botanical data

Family

Lamiaceae (Lamiaceae)

Height

0.3–0.6 m

Width

0.4–0.8 m

Habit

Clump-forming

Growth rate

Moderate

Position

Full sun

Soil

Sandy, Chalky

pH reaction

pH 6.5–8

Moisture

Dry, Moderate

Bloom

June–August

Hardiness

USDA 5a–9b

Propagation

From cuttings, From seed

Characteristics

Forms compact, hemispherical clumps 30–60 cm tall. The narrow, lance-shaped leaves are covered in a silvery down that reduces water loss. Small flowers are borne in spike-like inflorescences on leafless stalks. The leaves are opposite, stalkless and entire, 2–6 cm long, with slightly inrolled margins. The flowers are small and two-lipped, gathered in false whorls that together form an apparent spike; the oil is held in glands set mainly on the calyces and leaves, which is why a crushed shoot is fragrant too. In gardening the plant is treated as a perennial, but botanically it is a subshrub — the lower parts of the stems become permanently woody, and it is precisely these that fail to regrow after pruning that is too hard. The clump grows at a moderate rate and reaches its final dimensions — up to 60 cm tall and 80 cm wide — after two to three seasons. The foliage persists through winter, although after severe frosts it turns brown and renews itself only in spring.

Popular cultivars

‘Hidcote’

One of the most widely grown cultivars for low edging: compact, about 40–50 cm tall, with intensely dark purple flower spikes and distinctly silvery foliage. It flowers evenly and tolerates annual formative pruning well.

‘Munstead’

Flowers slightly earlier and has paler, blue-purple flowers than Hidcote. It grows compactly, to about 40–45 cm; a proven choice for herb beds, edging and container growing. It is sold both as a vegetatively propagated clone and as a seed strain (Munstead Strain) with less uniform height and colour — for a uniform edging, choose plants raised from cuttings.

‘Imperial Gem’

Dark purple flower spikes of a colour close to Hidcote, but the clump is taller (about 50–60 cm) and more uniform, with longer stalks — hence its usefulness as a cut flower and for drying.

‘Loddon Pink’

A cultivar with pale pink flowers, breaking away from the purple-and-blue range of the typical forms. It grows compactly, to about 45 cm; requirements as for the species. The colour works best alongside dark purple and white-flowered cultivars.

‘Nana Alba’

A dwarf, white-flowered form about 30–40 cm tall — one of the lowest in cultivation. Like the pink cultivars, it departs from the purple-and-blue colouring of the typical forms. Suitable for rock gardens, narrow edging and shallow containers.

Growing and care

Companion plants

The evidence level indicates whether the relationship is backed by research, observation, or gardening tradition.

Toxicity

History and origin

Cultivated since antiquity — the Romans added it to their bathwater (Latin lavare — to wash), which gave rise to its name. Prized in herbal medicine and perfumery since the Middle Ages, today it is a symbol of Provence. The etymology itself is disputed, however: some sources derive the genus name from the Latin lividus (bluish), while ancient accounts of lavender most probably refer to the related French lavender (Lavandula stoechas) rather than to the narrow-leaved species. The natural range of Lavandula angustifolia covers the dry, limestone slopes of the western Mediterranean basin, where the species grows higher in the mountains than its relatives — and it is this montane origin that accounts for its markedly better hardiness. Monastery gardens established it in the Middle Ages, and in the 12th century lavender was described by Hildegard of Bingen. The currently accepted name Lavandula angustifolia was given in 1768 by Philip Miller. Industrial distillation of the oil was developed in the 19th and 20th centuries in Haute-Provence, supplying the perfume houses of Grasse; in commercial growing, true lavender was later largely displaced by the more productive lavandin, but in herbal medicine and cosmetics the oil of Lavandula angustifolia, lower in camphor, remains the more highly valued. In Poland the species is grown mainly as an ornamental; its flowers and oil are pharmacopoeial raw materials.

Uses

For perennial borders, edging, herb and Mediterranean gardens, dry slopes, and pot cultivation. The flowers are suitable for drying and for making oils. The best position is a south- or west-facing aspect — by a wall, on a bank or beside stone paving, which radiates heat and keeps the ground dry. The soil should be rather poor: on fertile, moist ground the plant grows lush but loses its compact shape, fragrance and winter hardiness. Plant at 40–60 cm spacing; for a dense edging choose the lower end of that range, and the run will close up in the third season after planting. Mulch only with mineral material — grit or gravel; bark and peat hold moisture at the root collar and encourage rot. Good partners are perennials with the same requirements: catmint, meadow sage, stonecrops, yarrow, sea holly and grasses such as blue fescue. In a container it needs a pot with a drainage hole and a compost with a high proportion of sand or grit, plus protection for the rootball in winter — in a container it freezes through sooner than in open ground. Flower spikes for drying are cut when about a third of the flowers in the spike have opened; they are dried in bunches, heads down, in shade with good air movement. Harvesting for drying does not replace formative pruning — the clump will still need its shoots shortened by about a third after flowering, in August. For culinary use only dried flowers are used (teas, baking); the essential oil is for external use and aromatherapy, not for consumption.

Trivia

• Lavender oil is among the most widely used oils in aromatherapy.
• Dried lavender keeps its scent for many months and repels moths.
• The name English lavender says nothing about where the species comes from — it is Mediterranean, and the term was fixed by centuries of cultivation in England.
• The epithet angustifolia literally means “narrow-leaved” and distinguishes the species from broad-leaved lavender (Lavandula latifolia).

Frequently asked questions