What are the benefits of the lavender tree?
The benefits of lavender extend beyond just the garden. Besides being a beautiful, easy-to-grow plant loved by pollinators, lavender also has many uses inside your home. It’s often been said that lavender’s scent promotes relaxation and helps relieve feelings of stress and anxiety. Growing lavender is a fantastic way to support pollinators including bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects. Its nectar-rich flowers are an essential food source for these creatures, playing a critical role in our ecosystems and food production.Lavender is also a powerful herb for protection. In folk magic, it was believed to ward off evil spirits and negative energy. People would hang bunches of dried lavender in their homes, especially over doorways, to create a magical barrier against harm.And you can grow this glorious plant from cuttings! It’s literally the plant that just keeps giving! There are few plants whose scent can excite the senses like lavender. And luckily, lavender’s a plant that will easily grow from a cutting, meaning you can spread the lavender joy around your garden for free.Lavender plants are beneficial for wildlife due to several reasons: Pollinator Attraction: Lavender produces fragrant flowers rich in nectar, which attract a wide variety of pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and hoverflies.The best culinary lavender comes from the Lavandula angustifolia species, also known as English lavender, true lavender, or lavender vera. These varieties offer the perfect balance of floral and herbal notes without the overwhelming camphor taste that some other lavender species possess.
What are the benefits of lavender?
Lavender may have various health benefits, including relieving anxiety and depression and supporting skin health. You can consume it, such as a tea or capsule, apply it topically, or use it for aromatherapy. It is likely safe to consume lavender in the amounts typically used in foods. Oral lavender products might be safe in the short-term and in the amounts tested in studies of anxiety or other conditions. However, some people may experience adverse effects such as diarrhea, headache, nausea, or burping.Is Lavender Tea Safe When Consumed Daily? While lavender tea is generally safe for most people when consumed in moderation, drinking excessive amounts may lead to adverse effects such as nausea or headache.People who are allergic to lavender flowers or similar flowering plants should avoid drinking lavender tea. People who are sensitive to these flowers may develop an allergic reaction that includes difficulty breathing, skin rash, and throat irritation.Lavender has not been approved for use in any medical condition in the United States, but it is found in hundreds of herbal creams, lotions, bath oils and aromatic inhalants. Side effects are rare, but may include headache, constipation, dyspepsia and eructation.
Is lavender plant good for home?
The scent of lavender is known to deter mosquitoes and other pests. Other than bees, insects will stay away from lavender plants. Placing lavender sachets around your home or using lavender essential oil in homemade insect repellent sprays can help keep bugs at bay without harsh chemicals. Does lavender repel bugs? Yes—lavender is one of the most effective natural insect-repelling plants, widely valued for its ability to deter a broad range of pests—including flies, moths, mosquitoes, beetles, ticks, fleas and even aphids.Many people enjoy lavender tea for its soothing, stress-reducing properties. Others just like the pleasant taste of teas flavored with lavender. These teas can be enjoyed on their own, but we find that a dollop of honey is a nice complement that brings out the sweet and floral notes in lavender tea.Bees (honeybees, bumblebees, native bees): Lavender is a prime nectar and pollen source and is extremely attractive to all types of bees. Butterflies: Many butterfly species are drawn to lavender flowers.
Is there a difference between a lavender tree and a lavender bush?
It’s important to note that there is a difference between lavender and a lavender tree. Lavender typically refers to the herbaceous plant that grows in a bushy or shrub-like form, while a lavender tree is a variety of lavender that has been trained or pruned to grow with a tree-like appearance. Lavender plants undergo a natural dormancy period every winter. The leaves on your lavender plants will change from their deep, summertime green to a silvery, sage green. Your plants are not dead, merely resting. In cold climates, we advise not pruning nor covering your plants in the wintertime.We show that lavender, however, can also be planted as a tree in beds and pots. The lavender tree (Lavandula) is now hardly ever found in gardens in our country. The designation as a tree or a bush is actually nonsense in this context, because botanically speaking, lavender is a semi-shrub.The best time to prune is late August to early September, just after the lavender has finished flowering. This gives the plant enough time to heal before the chill of winter sets in – so if you haven’t done it yet, now’s your moment!Because lavender is a semi-woody shrub, it has a tendency to develop elongated, woody stems if plants aren’t pruned regularly. Not only do these scraggly stems produce fewer blooms, they eventually sprawl outward, leaving an ugly hole in the middle of your plant.Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is an evergreen plant native to the Mediterranean. Its flower and oil have a popular scent and are also used as medicine. Lavender contains an oil that seems to have calming effects and might relax certain muscles. It also seems to have antibacterial and antifungal effects.
Can you drink lavender leaves?
Are lavender leaves edible? Yes, those pretty little buds can be used to make tea, cook food, and make body care products. Lavender also grows quite well in containers. In the Deep South, it actually does better in pots, as it benefits from improved drainage and air circulation. While the plants thrive in arid Western climates, they are usually considered annuals in the South.This plant is known for its purifying properties, helping to eliminate toxins and pollutants in the air. In a Vastu context, clean and fresh air is vital for maintaining good health and well-being. By adding lavender to your home, you not only enhance aesthetics but also promote a healthier living environment.
Is lavender a lucky plant?
Good luck plant #8: Lavender Since it has soothing properties, it is used in aromatherapy. Lavender flower and Lavender oil are used in making scent and medicines. It is among the lucky plants ideal to be kept in front of the house or any outdoor space. Most lavenders naturally go dormant in the winter and survive on their own in zones 5 and warmer. In cold regions, lavender needs to be brought indoors or otherwise protected. The most important ways to prepare lavender in the winter are pruning, protecting, and ensuring soil drainage.With proper care, lavender plants will survive for 10- 15 years. Lavender should be pruned every year after flowering. Shear back the plants to half its size to stimulate new growth and a bushier vibrant plant.Space lavender plants 12 to 18 inches apart in an area with plenty of sunlight and sandy, well-drained soil with a pH of 6. Give young plants an excellent start to the growing season by mixing in several inches of compost or other rich organic matter into your native soil.
How to use a lavender tree?
The bud stage (mid summer) is the best time to pick lavender for drying. Dried lavender buds can then be used for cooking, tea, making infusions/tinctures, sachets/potpourri, or as ornamental dried flowers. After the flowers open (late summer), they attract many pollinators to your garden. Carry out lavender pruning in late August, just after flowering has finished. Don’t leave it too late, as any re-growth will need time to harden up before the first frosts. You can also trim your lavenders in April, but this will delay flowering slightly.Pour your organic oil of choice over the dry lavender, filling the container enough to cover the flowers. Place the jar in a sunny warm location to infuse for at least one week, or up to 3 weeks. Shake once in a while as the flowers might float to the top. After 3 weeks, strain the lavender flowers and reserve the oil.