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Lavender Facts & Information: Lavender (Lavandula) is such a wonderfully romantic flower that it should be required that every gardener grow it. This amazing plant is a native of the Mediterranean and a lover of sunny, dry, rocky habitats. Northern California, particularly Whitmore, CA can defiantly fit into this category, so we planted a few thousand to see how it would work. Think of ‘Tuscan’, ‘Provence’ and ‘Grosso’, three of the hardiest and best loved lavender varieties in the West. This is a good place to start a discussion of growing and cultivating the luxurious lavender. **Below is information and research we have collected from various lavender nursery's, books, and Internet resources** |
| Choosing a Lavender for you: You've found a great lavender website but there are so many plant choices. These are some questions to think about before purchasing Lavender for your area. What is my Climate and Zone Like? If you are unsure of your Climate or Hardiness Zone, ask your State extension service or other gardeners in your area what your local USDA zone is. Or, CLICK HERE for the National Arboretum USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. What do I have room for? Some lavender plants can surprise you. Some varieties can explode in growth and grow extremely large in height and width. Some lavenders can be dwarf-like and grow incredibly and disappointedly small. Here we have estimated plant sizes of common adult lavender and the approximate spacing you may need, and an idea of how many plants you may plant to fill a space: Lavandula x angustifolia (True Lavender): Can grow up to 24”tall x 22”wide (space >2.5ft.) Lavandula x intermedia (Lavandin): Can grow up to 36"tall x 36"wide (space at >3ft.) Lavandula stoeches (Spanish Lavender) Can grow up to 24”tall x 36”wide (Space 3-4ft.) Lavandula ang. x lanata hybrids fluxtuate in size (space at 2.5-3ft) What’s your favorite color? Do you know how many different varieties and colors there are? A lot! It seems that there are so many varieties that are so alike yet so uniquely different. One consideration is the overall color effect is derived from corolla color, calyx color and sometimes sterile bracts. When we are selecting a variety for it’s unique color we research the calyx (This is the fuzzy part commonly used to make sachet). The calyx color is visible before, during and after the corollas open and this color is what will remain when stems are dried. Lavender calyx color ranges from snow white, greens and yellows, to light and dark pink, red’s and dark mauve. There are several different shades of blues, violets, and yes, of course a wide range of Purples! What am I going to use my plant for? Lavender is commonly used for the purposes of ornamental, oil production, dry and fresh flowers, sachet, fragrant crafts and in cooking. Here are the common uses for some different types of Lavender. Lavandula x angustifolia (True Lavender) Landscape, low hedges, oil production, fresh cut and dry flowers, sachet, crafting, and our favorite for use as a culinary. Lavandula x intermedia (Lavandin) Landscape, hedges, oil production, fresh cut flowers (some work well for dried flowers), sachet, fragrant crafts, often suggested for culinary use but we find it too strong in fragrance and flavor. Lavandula ang. x lanata (wooly hybrids) Landscape, low hedges, fresh cut flowers Lavandula stoeches (Spanish Lavender) Landscape, hedges, fresh cut flowers Typical uses for Essential Oil: ~Aromatherapy: simply stated, is the practice of using herbs, flowers, and essential oils extracted from them for healing, relaxing, and balancing the mind, spirit and body. Smell is one of our most powerful senses. What we smell can have a profound impact on how we feel. Lavender essential oil is extracted from the plant through steam distillation. The flowers, leaves and stems are steamed, releasing the fragrant oils. ~To scent bath water: add a few drops to bath to enjoy the relaxing and soothing aromas of this wonderful flower, and delicately scent the skin. ~To soothe skin irritations: such as sunburn, insect bites, eczema, minor cuts and scrapes, even for athletes foot. Pure lavender essential oil is one of the few essential oils that can be applied undiluted directly to the skin a few drops at a time to soothe the skin and promote healing. (while there are no noted side effects to lavender oil, it is possible some people may have an allergic reaction to lavender oil.) ~To ease headache and tension: apply a few drops to your temples and rest quietly. Lavender eye pillows are also helpful for this purpose. Lavender sachets will fill your drawers and closets with a fresh clean fragrance, (and repel moths at the same time!) Use lavender as a natural air freshener instead of the chemical filled products saturating the market today. Walk into your house after a long, hard day and smell the fresh bowl of dried lavender buds on your coffee table. Kick off your shoes, sit back and place a lavender eye pillow over your eyes. Pamper yourself by sleeping with a lavender filled pillow. Life is so short, enjoy every breath! Lavender is commonly prescribed by aromatherapists to help reduce stress, anxiety, insomnia and mild depression. It is often referred to as a mood balancing herb that possesses a sedative and calming effect. It can also have an uplifting, refreshing and rejuvenating effect on the psyche. Lavender pillows, eye pillows, bath salts and floral waters are a wonderfully easy way to enjoy the soothing effects of lavender aromatherapy. All you have to do is relax, breathe in the scent, and enjoy! There is nothing difficult or complicated about it. If you haven't experienced the wonderful effects of the scent of lavender for yourself, get shopping! There really isn't anything like the fresh, potent scent of lavender. **It is often cautioned that pregnant and nursing women, and cancer patients should not consume or use lavender. It is also recommended that people using medications such as tranquilizers and pain killers use caution to avoid extreme drowsiness. While there are many recent and pending studies on the effects of lavender, use of lavender for the prevention or cure of disease has not been approved by the FDA or USDA. The products offered on this website are not intended to cure, treat or prevent any disease. The information on this site is based on historic use of lavender, for general reference, and on our own personal experiences with lavender.** Cultivation: Two basic requirements for successful lavender growing are full sun and good drainage. Lavender is av very hardy plant and will tolerate neglect, but to insure the best results, a lavender plant will flourish best if these two requirements are met. In return, you will be rewarded with a beautiful, aromatic and bountiful display of flowers during the summer months. Lavender is native to rocky, Mediterranean regions with alkaline soil and a lot of sun so it's our job to create conditions to make it feel at home. And, where better than, Shasta Counties: Whitmore, CA. If you know or suspect that your soil is leaning toward the acidic side we recommend that you sprinkle a handful of lime (Calcium Carbonate) around the drip line of the plant. It's recommended to use lime when you transplant as well, mixing it into the surface soil will help the lavender to adjust a bit more easily to its new home. Lavender needs full sun to grow densely and have bountiful blooms. In optimal conditions the plant should receive 8+ hours of direct sunlight during its regular growing season. It is not recommended to limit when it comes to light. Plants receiving 5 hours or less of direct sunlight will be leggy and bloom will be less than desirable. We highly recommend at least 6 hours of direct sunlight and in this exposure it is important that the plant is receiving this in the afternoon (morning and evening light is not as intense) when the sun is directly above. Drainage is a very big issue. Lavender is a very hardy plant but if there is one thing that can weaken it, it would be poor drainage. Lavender plants should never be planted in a sloshy or boggy area of your yard. It’s not recommended to plant lavender near a outdoor faucet or sprinkler. If you dig a hole and it fills with water at any time of the year, other than immediately after a heavy rain, it is a good indication not to plant lavender in this location. If you have this type of environment, we recommend building a raised bed or a mound to insure drainage of water away from the plants roots. We also recommend using a transplanting fertilizer be added to the soil prior to transplanting. Generally, when plants look like they are struggling or have a slight yellowish hue, this could be the result of a lack of nutrients or not enough water. In this situation a light fertilizer and/or watering more frequently may be the answer. When propagating cuttings from strong new growth can be done in spring and late summer or autumn. Once rooted, plant them in a well drained, poor soil. Foliage will yellow in poorly drained soil. The bushes tend to look after themselves and respond to an annual pruning in fall after flowering or in early spring. Bushes tend to straggle as they mature and it is often necessary to cut back severely in fall to generate strong growth. *We highly recommend the propagation form of reproduction as apposed to sowing from seeds. Sowing lavender seeds can be a fruitless, lengthy, and unpredictable battle. You never can really know what you are going to get. Transplanting: When you begin to plant or transplant dig your holes approximately three times the size of the pot size your are starting with. This is the time to mix your soil with lime, or a light transplanting fertilizer, and to loosen the roots thoroughly, without breaking too many off. Be sure to the majority of the roots are pointed downwards when situating the plant in the hole. It is most important that the woody stem of the plant is not covered with soil (planting too deep can often lead to stem rot). Water the plant in thoroughly and remember when transplanting lavender during the summer months that it though it may look as if the ground is wet but the plant may have sucked the immediate soil around it’s roots dry in the first few weeks after transplant. Keep a watchful eye during the first few weeks and water as needed. Pruning Techniques and Tips: The most important thing is not to be afraid! Lavender is a woody shrub so it rarely works to cut the plant off at the ground and expect it to rejuvenate itself from the remaining stem and root tissue. Plants need to be pruned every year to keep a dense round shape and to ensure a prolific bloom. The only exception to this is the first season growth. After transplanting, simply cut off the finished flower spikes where it emerges from the leaves of the plant in the fall. Lavender that has not been maintained will become weak, top heavy, and split (Lovingly nicknamed “Poodle Lavender”). We often receive questions regarding what to do with these split plants but there is little that can be done after the damage has occurred. Shape the plant, as best you can, and live with it or start over with a new plant. Lavender can be pruned any time of year but I highly recommend Fall pruning. After plants have finished bloom, this depends on variety and what region you live in, it’s time for pruning. Pruning right after or during bloom allows the plant to recover and put on some new growth before winter. Harvesting early on Lavandula x angustifolia (True Lavender) varieties will promote a second bloom in most years. It's hard to do to a plant in the middle of summer, when everything is at its prime, but doing this early ensures that you don't have to look at a cut back lump of twigs in your yard all winter. When pruning we recommend that you cut the plant foliage back at least one third each year, being careful not to cut into the old wood. Counting up an individual stem there should be at least three strong individual leaf clusters minimum. It isn't a science but the leaf cluster count should be somewhere between three and six consistently to make a nice round shape. By fall, the leaf clusters will grow into new foliage, hopefully creating beautiful silver mounds for the winter ahead. Pruning Lavandula stoeches (Spanish Lavender) can be a challenge in that in some seasons it never stops blooming. Dead heading defiantly promotes continuous blooms during the season. Our best recommendation would be to prune it at least once a season (Early Fall is best), removing stray growth and shaping the plant back to a manageable size. Avoid late fall / early winter pruning of Spanish lavender and leave plenty of leaf material. If you feel you have a special situation or question we’re always glad to help you through. A short lavender lesson: Ultimately, the Genus Lavandula consists of over 30 species of small shrubs or herbs. Genus Lavandula is dived into six sections: Section Lavandula (formerly Spica; native to France); Section Stoechas (native to Mediterranean regions); Section Dentata (native to Mediterranean, Macronesia and Arabia); Section Pterostoechas (native to North Africa and Macronesia); Sectoin Chaetostachys (native to the Peninsula India); and Section Subnuda (native to the Arabian Peninsula and adjacent parts of Africa). Of these, Section Lavandula contains the most commonly grown and hardiest of the lavender genus. HARDY LAVENDERS English Lavender, Lavendula angustifolia, is the most widely cultivated species (synonyms - L. vera, L. latifola, L. officinalis, L. spica, L. delphinensis). The common narrow-leafed variety grows 1-3 ft high with a short but irregular crooked, much- branched stem, covered with a yellowish-gray bark, which comes off in flakes and very numerous erect straight, broom-like, slender, bluntly quadrangular branches, finely pubescent with stellate hairs. The leaves are opposite, sessile, entire, blunt and linear or lance-shaped. When young, leaves are white with dense stellate hairs on both surfaces with strongly revolute margins. When full grown, leaves become greener and extend up to 2 1/2 in long, with scattered hairs above, smooth or finely downy beneath, with the margins only slightly revolute. Flowers are produced in terminating one-half-inch-long spikes from the young shoots, on long stems. The spikes are composed of whorls or rings of flowers, each composed of six to ten flowers; the lower whorls becoming more distant from each other. The flowers themselves are very shortly stalked, three to five together in the axils of rhomboidal, brown, thin, dry bracts. Leaflike bracts are in an opposite arrangement below each whorl. They are usually shorter than the calyces. According to Tucker and Hensen (1985) lavenders can be distinguished by their bracts; those of L. angustifolia are ovate-rhombic in outline, with a length/width ratio of 0.83 to 2.20 with bracteoles absent or up to 2.5 mm long. The calyx is tubular and ribbed, with thirteen veins, purple-gray in color, five- toothed and hairy with shiny oil glands among the hairs visible with a hand lens. The majority of the oil extracted from the flowers is contained in the glands on the calyx. The 2-lipped corolla is a bluish-violet color. Flowering is generally from mid to late June to early July. There are many cultivars of English Lavender including the white dwarf Nana Alba, also pink varieties designated Rosea, Jean Davis, and Lodden Pink, which may be the same cultivar. Cultivars with dark flowers include Twickle Purple, Dwarf Blue, Hidcote, Royal Purple, Loddon Blue, Middachten Nana Atropurperea, Mitcham Cray, Munstead, and Summerland Supreme. Lavender-blue flowered cultivars include Backhouse Purple, Bowles Early, Compacta, Folgate, Graves, Gray Lady, Gwendolyn Anley, Irene Doyle, and Maillette. Of the various blue cultivars, Irene Doyle (Tucker, 1984) is considered unique in its ability to flower twice. Its excellent fragrance and concentrations of essential oil make it suitable for commercial harvest. 'Irene Doyle' was the first recurrent- blooming lavender discovered by Thomas Debaggio of Earth Works Nursery in Arlington VA. Other recurrent bloomers introduced by Debaggio are 'W. G. Doyle', which he calls dark supreme lavender, and 'Susan Belsinger.' Another cultivar, L. Lady, was the 1994 winner of the All-American Selection. Its unique attributes include that it germinates quickly (14-28 days; 78% germination), it comes true from seed, and blooms the first year (south- 3 months; north- 5-6 months). This cultivar was developed by the late Ted Torrey, head plant breeder for W. Atlee Burpee & Co. Lavandin, Lavendula. x intermedia (syn. L. hybrida) is an interspecific hybrid between L. angustifolia and L. latifola and has intermediate characteristics (angustifolia = narrow; latifola = broad). Lavandin is a sterile hybrid and must be vegetatively propagated. It has ovate-rhombic bracts like English lavender but the width to length ratio is 1.33 to 3.00 and bracteoles are always 1-4 mm long. Both leaf size and plant height (3 ft) are larger in lavandin when compared to English lavender. Typically, lavandin varieties bloom 3-4 weeks later than English lavender and have significantly higher essential oil concentrations. It is widely cultivated for nursery production and also grown commercially as a source of essential oil. Commercial lavandin oil- and flower- producing cultivars include, Grosso, Abrialii, Super, Standard, Maime Epis. Horticultural cultivars include Dutch, Grappenhall, Hidcote Giant, Old English, Provence, Seal, and Silver Gray. TENDER LAVENDERS: L. latifolia, or Spike Lavender, is one of the species that makes up the lavandin hybrid but is not hardy, being a native of the Mediterranean. It is grown primarily for its essential oil and is rare in the U.S. It can reach 3 feet in height and spread. L. lanata, wooly lavander, is an exceptional potpourri plant because of its balsam-lavender fragrance. This plant is a 2-3 foot shrub with fragrant, lilac-colored spikes blooming in midsummer. L. heterophylla, grows up to 4 feet in height and is suitable for growing in containers. It is characterized by its irregularly shaped, toothed leaves and unusual gray-green foliage. French lavender or Fringed lavender (Lavendula dentata) grows up to three feet in height. Leaves are 1 1/4 inch long; linear-oblong with rounded teeth at margins, grayish in color and covered with soft fuzz. The spikes are up to 1 3/4-inch long and 1/2 inch diameter. The 1/4 inch wide, purple, oblong to oval-shaped bracts are up to 1/2 inch in length with 3/8- inch dark purple flowers. This species grows in Spain and warm temperate regions. It is generally treated as an annual and grown as an ornamental. This species is grown for its rosemary-scented flowers and for potpourri production. L. stoechas, Spanish lavender, is a woody shrub growing to four feet tall with linear to oblong, lance shaped leaves about 3/4 inch diameter with 3/8 inch, dark purple flowers. Its elegant flowers are often used for dried flower production. Spanish lavenders tolerate more acid soils than other lavenders but are not hardy and need to be treated as annuals and are generally grown as ornamentals. L. multifida, (fern-leaf lavender), L. pinnata, and L. canariensis are characterized by their lacy, finely divided fern-like leaves with solitary spikes in threes (trident-form). All three adapt well to container growing but are not widely cultivated in the U.S. L. canariensis, native to the Canary Islands, has feathery foliage with dark-blue flower spikes with a turpentine scent. According to Tom DeBaggio, it self sows so prolifically that it can be treated as an annual. A hybrid cross between L. dentata and L. latifolia, is known as Lavandula x allardii, or giant lavender. It can reach 5 feet in height and 4 feet in spread with indented or scalloped leaves and very large violet-purple flower heads. L. Sawyers, is another hybrid (L. angustifolia and L. lanata) which is considered half-hardy. It is characterized by large gray leaves with flowers ranging from lavender-blue to deep purple. Its flowers are dried for crafting and for use in potpourri. Recommended Varieties for Northern California: Lavandula angustifolia (True Lavender or English) Zones 5-8 ‘Royal Purple’ beautiful dark velvety purple flowers and a has a sweet fragrance. 7-10” tall. 'Tuckers Early Purple' A local favorite. Grows beautiful dark purple flowers. 24" tall 'Hidcote Blue' Culinary favorite, and is the lavender of choice for its deep, dark purple flowers. 24" tall 'Hidcote Pink' is one of my favorite pinks. Wonderful culinary variety. 22" tall ‘Miss Katherine’ produces the darkest pink flower spikes. 18"-20" tall L. x intermedia (Lavandin Not French) Zones 5-8 'Provence' dries particularly well and is used as a Culinary variety. 30" tall 'Grosso' is highly disease resistant and fragrant. Widely grown for quantity (not quality)oil production. 30" tall L. dentata (Fringed Lavender or French) Zones 8-9 In higher elevations it is recommended to cover this plant to protect it from the cold, or plant in a container and bring in during winter months. This is a bushy, spreading shrub that produces dense purple-blue flower spikes that are very pretty, but only mildly fragrant. 3' tall L. stoechas (Spanish Lavender) Zones 8-9 A beautiful Mediterranean native that is compact and bushy with fragrant, dark purple flowers topped by a feathery purple bract. Good cultivars include: ‘Dark Eyes’ and ‘Silver Frost’. L. stoechas subsp. pedunculata (Spanish Lavender) Zones 9-10 Bears its flower stalks high above the foliage. In higher elevations it is recommended to cover this plant to protect it from the cold, or plant in a container and bring in during winter months. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Final Suggestions from Tuscan Heights Lavender Gardens & Lavender Farms from Across the Web:
Give Tuscan Heights Lavender Gardens a call and let us know what your environment is like. For a nominal fee, we can consult and assist you with your ideas and designs for growing the perfect lavender plant variety in your home or garden. |
| Site design: THLG ~ Lynette M Gooch Site Content Copyright © THLG 2003 - 2008 All Rights Reserved |
| Have a HAPPY Lavender Day! |
| Tuscan Heights Lavender Gardens ~ PO Box 206 ~ 12757 Fern Road EAST ~ Whitmore, CA 96096 Copyright 2006 - 2008 Phone: 530*472*3066 email: lavenderinfo@tuscanheights.net |
| CA Certified Organic Grower USDA-NOP: [7 CFR.405(c)] Shasta Co. Registration: #45~0050 |
| Lavender Consulting Do you have some questions about growing lavender, and you just cant find the answers? Tuscan Heights can help! |
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