Understand the Different Types of Lavender

Lavender is enormously popular, but not all lavender is created equal. Using different varieties of lavender will yield different results, and knowing the right lavender for your garden or intended use will help your project be more successful. Lavender flowers can be large or small, and lightly shaded or vivid, depending on the variety you choose. There are even lavender flowers that are white, pink or yellow.

Lavender Varieties

• Lavender likes a sunny, open location in which to grow, and thrives on well drained soil. It is drought tolerant, and naturally pest resistant.

• English Lavender (Lavendula angustifolia) Photo
  
  English lavender is the most popular lavender grown today, and has the bouquet and appearance you probably associate with the plant. It has a strong scent, and its fragrance is used for medicinal and cosmetic purposes. It is a common base for aromatherapy oil, and with Lavandula x intermedias, is the variety of lavender most often selected for culinary applications.
  
  English lavender is a hardy perennial from zones 5 – 11 with medium purple flowers, and typically attains a height of two to three feet. It is the variety you should choose if you are planning on using lavender for culinary or craft projects.
  
  A number of the newer English lavenders are smaller in size, with a mounding habit that makes them good edging plants. Varieties that make good multiple groupings would include:
  
  Melissa (pink flowers),
  Baby Blue (purple flowers),
  Nana Alba (white flowers), and
  Martha Roderick (blue/lavender flowers).
  
  
• French Lavender (L. dententa) Photo
  
  French lavender is not particularly fragrant. Largely used for decorative purposes, its blooms are a less vivid violet in color. It has serrated leaves, grows to a height of three feet, and is a perennial in zones 8 - 11. The plant most associated with "French lavender" is actually the Mediterranean or Spanish variety discussed below.
  
  
• Spanish Lavender (L. stoechus) Photo
  
  Spanish lavender has a distinctive deep purple flower with a pinecone shape and upright flower petals. It is native to the Mediterranean and northern Africa, and is a good choice for humid climates.
  
  Typically growing from 18" to two feet, and a perennial in zones 8 to 11, Spanish lavender gives very good spring color, and is a favorite of bees. After flowering, it gets leggy, so trim it back. This isn't a good culinary lavender, but it is very attractive in the garden, particularly when planted out with marigolds.
  
  
• Specialty or Unusual Lavenders
  
  Lavender species go in and out of fashion, and will sport different colors and leaf shapes. The most popular lavenders have silver-green foliage with sharp, spear shaped leaves and vivid lavender to purple flowers, although pink, white, blue, and yellow flowering varieties are not uncommon.

For more information on lavender, visit my lavender page, or click on the word photo to see a picture of the variety of lavender mentioned:

• Growing, Keeping and Propagating Lavender