What is the common name for Lavandula angustifolia?
Lavandula angustifolia, formerly L. Lamiaceae, native to the Mediterranean basin. Its common names include lavender, true lavender and English lavender (though it is not native to England); also garden lavender, common lavender and narrow-leaved lavender. 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.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.Hardy lavenders are best pruned after they have finished flowering in late August or September. Traditional advice used to be that you should never cut into the old wood. However, opinions have changed and gardeners are now told to cut back to about 22cm (9ins).Lavender is an evergreen shrub that retains its foliage throughout the year. It does not completely die back to the ground during the winter, though its growth may slow or become dormant in colder months. Lavender’s semi-woody nature also differentiates it from herbaceous perennials with softer, non-woody stems.
Is Lavandula angustifolia safe to eat?
Culinary lavender is usually English Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia). If your lavender has a sweet, floral aroma and is labeled as suitable for culinary use, it is likely safe to eat. If you’re looking for the characteristic lavender smell, choose English lavender. It produces the strong scent that permeates the air, while French lavender has a much lighter scent, which while nice, is more reminiscent of rosemary.Lavender is known to have insect-repelling properties and is sometimes used to repel pests such as moths, flies, codling moths, and mosquitoes. This fragrant and attractive herb is easy to grow and care for. Give it a sunny location and well-draining soil.The south of France is top of mind for most when it comes to lavender fields. In Nice and Marseille, street markets offer a wide selection of lavender soaps and other goods.English lavender is widely acknowledged to have the best and strongest scent, with the top three being ‘Folgate’, ‘Munstead’ and ‘Hidcote’ lavenders; all cultivated especially for their oil.Lavender is a hardy plant that prefers a Mediterranean-like climate — dry, sunny, and with good air circulation. Most lavender plants don’t thrive in very humid or colder climates (although English lavender can tolerate some colder weather). Most varieties are hardy from Zones 5-9.
What is the difference between lavender and Lavandula angustifolia?
Lavandula Angustifolia tends to have shorter stems than lavandins, smell sweeter, have darker colors, and taste very sweet and floral. Most Lavandins will have stems 24″ or longer while true lavenders will have 12-18″ stems. Lavender typically finishes flowering in August and September, depending on the variety. When this happens, you should then choose whether you want to deadhead your plant or not. Whichever option you choose, it’s also a good idea to prune your lavender after flowering.Spanish Lavender (Lavandula stoechas) This Lavender loves hot weather but is more tender (Hardiness 8-9) than other varieties. A beautiful selection for mass plantings or containers. Flowering typically occurs from mid-spring to late summer.You want to heavily prune and shape young lavender plants for two reasons: 1) It helps develop a tight, compact, shaped base that will keep the plant healthy for years to come, and 2) Pruning in the fall drives energy away from the plant surface and down into the roots, which is what you want for the winter.Although there are some plants you should never deadhead, lavender isn’t on that list. Instead, you can find it on the list of plants you should deadhead for a second bloom, as both English and Spanish lavender can bloom multiple times in one flowering season if deadheaded regularly.
What are the medicinal uses of Lavandula?
Lavender is an herb native to northern Africa and the mountainous regions of the Mediterranean. Medicinal uses may include helping with mood, anxiety, and depression. Lavender is also grown for the production of its essential oil, which comes from the distillation of the flower spikes of certain lavender species. Every spring, apply a slow-release, microbial, mineral-rich feed such as seaweed/kelp, shellfish, blood meal, or bone meal, which will provide all the fertilization lavender needs. Excess fertilizer can become toxic to the lavender’s root system.Yes, there is still time to transplant lavender. Cut it back by a third and plant it in full sun in well drained soil as they don’t like heavy clay soils. Try and remove as much of the root ball as possible so as not to disturb the roots too much. Apply Seasol plant tonic before and after transplanting.Lavender seeds require cold stratification and light to germinate. Place seeds on a wet paper towel and place them in the fridge for 3 to 4 weeks. Plant them very shallowly in warm soil with a grow light.Crushing, grinding or mashing fresh or dried lavender buds into dry ingredients, such as, sugar, flour and salt using a food processor, or a mortar and pestle is another infusion method. The grinding action forces some of the essential oil and other flavor elements from the lavender into the dry ingredient.An easy way to grow more Lavender is from stem cuttings. This is the process of using 10-15 cm long pieces of stems to grow new plants.
What is Lavandula angustifolia used for?
In addition to its low toxicity risk, Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Mill. Some of the well-known, observed benefits of lavender aromatherapy include (8) : Improved mood: Lavender’s scent tends to have an uplifting, tension-easing effect on mood, helping reduce feelings of anxiety or irritability.Lavender essential oils exert their calming effect through various proposed mechanisms, such as GABA receptor inhibition, the reaction of linalool with glutamatergic NMDA receptors, inhibition of serotonin transporter (SERT), antagonizing the NMDA receptor, inhibiting tension-dependent calcium channels, and affecting .What is the secret to growing lavender? Lavender needs full sun and good drainage. It is more likely to die from excess moisture than from cold in winter. A pot is an excellent way to provide drainage, though the plant will be more vulnerable to cold temperatures than it would be in the ground.The edible part of the plant is the flower, which can be used fresh or dried. Lavender buds contain essential oils rich in linalool and linalyl acetate, compounds studied for their calming, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties.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.
What is the difference between lavender and Lavandula?
The Lavandin varieties produce plants that tend to be larger than English Lavender, with longer, larger and more pointed flower spikes. With the Lavandin plants you also tend to get lateral shoots up the stem with additional smaller flower spikes. While both bumblebees (Bombus spp. Apis mellifera) are attracted to lavender (Lavandula spp.Research suggests that the larger lavender cultivars are the best for bees. You can find varieties from fragrant white to luscious dark purple. Look for the hardier and less picky Lavandula angustifolia or Lavandin x intermedia cultivars for individual plants or to make a lovely hedge.