Lavandula angustifolia (lavender, English lavender - though not native to England, common lavender, true lavender, narrow-leaved lavender, and garden lavender), formerly L. officinalis, is a flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae, native to the western Mediterranean, primarily the Pyrenees and other mountains in northern Spain, as well as France, Italy, Croatia, etc.
It is a strongly aromatic shrub growing as high as 1 to 2 meters (3.3 to 6.6 ft) tall. The leaves are evergreen, 2–6 centimeters (0.79–2.4 in) long, and 4–6 millimeters (0.16–0.24 in) broad. The flowers are pinkish-purple (lavender-colored), produced on spikes 2–8 cm (0.79–3.1 in) long at the top of slender, leafless stems 10–30 cm (3.9–12 in) long.
The species name angustifolia is Latin for "narrow leaf". Previously, it was known as Lavandula officinalis, referring to its medicinal properties.
English lavender is commonly grown as an ornamental plant. It is popular for its colorful flowers, fragrance, and its ability to survive with low water consumption. It does not grow well in continuously damp soil and may benefit from increased drainage provided by inorganic mulches such as gravel. It does best in Mediterranean climates similar to its native habitat, characterized by wet winters and dry summers. It is fairly tolerant of low temperatures and is generally considered hardy to USDA zone 5. It tolerates acid soils but favors neutral to alkaline soils, and in some conditions it may be short-lived.
The following cultivars of L. angustifolia and its hybrids have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit: L. intermedia 'Alba' (large white flowers), L. angustifolia 'Beechwood Blue', L. angustifolia 'Hidcote', L. intermedia 'Hidcote Giant', L. angustifolia 'Imperial Gem', L. angustifolia 'Little Lottie' or 'Clarmo', L. angustifolia 'Miss Katherine', L. angustifolia 'Miss Muffet' or 'Scholmis', L. angustifolia 'Nana Alba (dwarf white)', L. intermedia 'Olympia' or 'Downoly', L. chaytoriae 'Richard Gray', L. chaytoriae 'Sawyers', L. intermedia 'Sussex'. Some cultivars have been selected for their dwarf, semi-dwarf, and giant sizes. The dwarf cultivars include the following: 'Compacta', 'Folgate', 'Dwarf Blue', 'Dwarf White', 'Hidcote Pink', 'Hidcote Superior' (compact evergreen shrub with fragrant gray-green foliage and deep violet-blue flowers), 'Munstead' (pink-purple to lavender-blue inflorescences that are slightly fragrant), 'Nana Atropurpurea', 'Nana Rosea', 'Sarah' (petite, dark violet, fragrant flowers), 'Summerland Supreme', and 'Lady Lavender' (grey-green foliage with lavender-blue, fragrant flowers). The semi-dwarf cultivars include the 'Bowles Early', 'Hidcote Variety' (silver-grey foliage with deep violet-blue flowers), 'Loddon Blue', 'Martha Roderick', 'Jean Davis' (pale pink flowers with an exceptionally fruity taste), 'Twickle Purple', and 'Pink Perfume'. The giant cultivars include the following: 'Alba', 'Blackhouse Purple', 'Biostos', 'Bridestowe', 'Graves', 'Gray Lady', 'Gwendolyn Anley', 'Hidcote Giant' (very vigorous grower with large, strongly fragrant, deep lavender-purple flowers), 'Irene Doyle', 'Mailette', 'Middachten', and 'Vera' (thought to be the original species of lavender, harvested for its oil).
Lavandula angustifolia is included in the Tasmanian Fire Service's list of low flammability plants, indicating that it is suitable for growing within a building protection zone.
Article excerpt is from Wikipedia.org under the Creative Commons License.
Image reused under the GNU Free Documentation License.
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