Lavender is most commonly attributed to two characteristics: its aroma and its appearance. However, you may not even be aware that the lavender blossom and its oil have such a history in ayurvedic medicines.
In this guide, you will know everything about lavender and the types of lavender that you can actually plant indoors.
Table of Contents
What is Lavender?
Lavender is the traditional name for a variety of herbaceous, perennial shrubs in the genus Lavandula that are grown for ornamental purposes or for the extraction of essential oils. Lavender plants are little shrubs with dark foliage and lengthy, branching blooming branches. Flowers are produced on shoots or spikes that can reach a length of 20–40 cm (8–16 in). Petals are lilac or blue in color and they may grow up to 0.4 m (1.3 ft) in height and survive for 20–30 years. True lavender, medical lavender, scented lavender, thin-leaved lavender, and English lavender are all names for the same plant, which is thought to have originated in France.
The flowers of lavender are fragrant in nature and have been used for making potpourri and cosmetics for centuries. Traditionally, lavender essential oil has also been used in making perfumes. The oil is very useful in aromatherapy and many aromatic preparations.
It grows well in a broad variety of temperatures, but grows best from 7 and 21 degrees Celsius. The plants need a lot of light to grow well, therefore they should be placed where they will get plenty of it. Light to sandy, well-draining soils with a pH of 5.8–8.3 are ideal for the plants.
English Lavender
English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is typically considered a herb because of its scented leaves and blossoms. It’s a herbaceous perennial with a semi-woody growth style, nevertheless. It’s grown for preserved foliage for fragrances and potpourri, along with aromatic plants for sleep aromatherapy, but it’s also a wonderful landscape plant with bright purple blooms that blossom around late spring to spring time. It’s widely used throughout perennial borders and rock gardens, but also herbal and scented gardens, to provide brightness to the landscape in the heat of the summer.
The culinary uses of English lavender variants outnumber those of other lavender varieties. This plant has a rectangular stem containing narrow pale leaves up to 2 1/2″ broad and develops to reach 1.5-3′ high. Late spring to early summer purple flowers bloom in terminal spikes.
Portuguese Lavender
This lavender is indigenous to the western Mediterranean area and is also known as Spike Lavender. It’s scent is stronger and more pungent than Lavandula Angustifolia scent and it does have a pine cone-shaped bloom with erect flower petals and a dark purple beauty. Tall, deep purple blossom spikes characterize Portuguese lavender. This one has a stronger, deeper scent than other lavender varieties.
Lavender Portuguese is a newly added variation from Portugal, in which the plant’s seeds were gathered. This magnificent Spanish lavender blooms in April and May, retaining its untamed vitality and attracting bees and butterflies. Plant that is drought resistant or tolerant (xeric). The petals aren’t particularly sweet, but the foliage is. It can withstand higher moisture levels than English lavenders.
French Lavender
The plant Lavandula stoechas is also known as French lavender. It’s a fragrant dwarf shrub with narrow, greyish leaves and thick, oval heads of little purple flowers with a tuft of purple bracts on top. It has received the renowned Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society (AGM). This is a fragrant lavender with a strong scent. It’s also known as Lavandin, and it’s a lovely cut flower with long stems and lavender-blue flower spikes. Lavender in France is susceptible to cold weather and cannot survive long periods of time in the cold.
The plants developed into a mound that was 12 to 36 inches in height and 48 to 60 inches in diameter. To attain its greatest capacity, it requires full light and well-drained, alkaline soil. To keep the plants appealing and manageable, prune them at the end of the season. It will definitely decorate your gardens and terraces magnificently for a long time!
Spanish Lavender
The Spanish lavender is by far the most brilliant of the variety of lavenders. It blooms as a spherical plant with a 24 to 30 inch circumference. A height of 2-3 feet and a width of 2-3 feet Small linear gray-green leaves make up the foliage, and flower spikes with multiple huge and beautiful vivid purple bracts appear on stems extending 4-6 in. early spring, above the foliage.
There are about 40 numerous variations of lavender, including Spanish lavender (Lavandula stoechas). It grows as a low shrub, similar to its other relatives, but its flowers have a unique form. The blossoms have upright flowers that emerge at the tip of the flower heads, giving them a rabbit-like look. Once established, it is easy to maintain and requires little upkeep.
Nice To Know
Purity, silence, dedication, calmness, grace, and peacefulness are all symbols of lavender flowers. Purple is a regal color that also connotes sophistication, refinement, and richness. The color is also linked to the crown chakra, which is the spirit center connected to a higher purpose and spirituality.
Conclusion
One of the most famous little garden plants is lavender. In the summer, the plants produce thick sets of little tubular blooms with slender, oily, and scented foliage.
Lavender’s aroma will give you peace of mind when you’re stressed, and it’s also known to improve people’s spirits. It is believed to help in the reduction of anxiety.. It not only improves one’s emotions, but it also makes one relax, and the aroma may aid insomnia.