The Best Lavenders for Gardens, Cooking and Crafts

Are you searching for the best lavender for a garden border, to make potpourri or as an ingredient in Herbs to Provence? Here are some of the best lavender varieties for  landscaping, cooking and crafts. With lavender lovers in mind, we've also listed them by type. 

Lavender is one of the most popular herbs, as well as one of the most sought after garden plants in the world. That doesn't mean one size fits all, though. From the deepest shades of purple to the most beguiling fragrances and -- of course  -- the most majestic stalks, let's take a deep dive into the best lavender cultivar for you.

Best Lavender for the Garden

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These lavender cultivars, separated by type, are well-suited for landscaping and garden applications. Compiling this list we looked at factors like hardiness, growth habit, flower aesthetics: 

English Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia):

English lavenders are known for their classic beauty, cold hardiness and attractive foliage. In the garden, they are a good choice for decorative hedges, borders, edging, mass plantings (for a plush look), and sunny spots.

     Recommended Cultivars (Zones 5-9 Unless otherwise noted): 

• Hidcote Blue: Compact with abundant dark blue flowers.
• Munstead: Compact with fragrant, deep purple flowers.
• Twicky Woolly: Compact with silvery foliage and fragrant purple flowers.
• Blue Spear (Zone 5-8): Upright form with tall, deep blue flower spikes. Taller than most English lavenders.
• Loddon Blue (Zone 5-8): Prolific bloomer with tall, blue flower spikes. Taller than most English lavenders.

Lavandin Hybrid (Lavandula x intermedia):

Lavandin Hybrids offer tall flower spikes, strong fragrance and good heat tolerance. They do well in warmer climates. In the garden, they're a fine fit for borders, large containers and as focal point, statement plants.

     Recommended Cultivars (Zones 5-9 Unless otherwise noted): 

      Consider these for a strong "spike lavender" statement.

• Grosso: Large, deep purple flower spikes with strong fragrance.
• Provence: Large, fragrant blue-purple flowers with tall spikes.
• Edelweiss: Produces abundant summer displays of snowy white flowers
• Dutch Mill: Very tall flower spikes, deep blue flowers.
• Ravensbourne: Large, dark purple flower spikes with strong fragrance.
• Super: Very tall, dense flower spikes with deep purple flowers.

French Lavender (Lavandula dentata):

French lavender's most distinctive attributes are its woody texture, fragrant foliage, and heat tolerance. It's an excellent option for warmer climates where English lavender might fade. In the garden, consider it for borders, low hedges, and containers.

     Recommended Cultivars (Zones 5-9 Unless otherwise  noted): 

• Goodwin Creek Grey: Silvery-gray foliage with purple flowers.
• Dutch White: Compact with white flowers.
• Blue Ribbon: Deep blue flowers.

Spanish Lavender (Lavandula stoechas):

Spanish Lavender's "rabbit ear" bracts above the flowers and interesting foliage textures (in some varieties) make it distinctive and give it a lot of dramatic flair.

Although it tends to be less fragrant, Spanish lavender is still a good choice as a specimen plant and for borders and containers in warmer regions of the country.

     Recommended Cultivars (Zones 7-9 Unless otherwise noted): 

• Anouk: Deep purple flowers with large, dark purple bracts.
• Fathead: Large, purple flower heads with prominent purple bracts.
• Rosemary: Narrow green leaves resembling rosemary, purple flowers with lavender-colored bracts.

Best Lavender for Cooking

Even though most lavender varieties are edible, English lavender is consider the best lavender for cooking. These have delicious flavoring scent.

     Recommended Cultivars (Zones 5-9 Unless otherwise noted): 

• Munstead: Compact with fragrant, deep purple flowers. Known for its strong, floral, and slightly sweet flavor with hints of citrus and mint.
• Hidcote Blue: Compact with abundant dark blue flowers. Offers a classic lavender taste with floral and peppery notes.
• Royal Velvet: Relatively low-maintenance. Strong floral notes with and slightly sweet flavor and hints of citrus and mint.
• Twicky Woolly: Compact with silvery foliage and fragrant purple flowers. Provides a delicate floral lavender taste with a hint of lemon.
• Blue Spear (Zone 5-8): Upright form with tall, deep blue flower spikes. Features a strong, floral lavender aroma and slightly bitter taste.
• Loddon Blue (Zone 5-8): Prolific bloomer with tall, blue flower spikes. Offers a pronounced floral lavender flavor with a touch of mint.
• Betty’s Blue: Drought tolerant. Pepper lavender flavor.

Suggestions:

• Always use culinary-grade lavender. Non-culinary lavender may be treated with pesticides or other chemicals
• It is safe to use either fresh or dried lavender. Fresh lavender has a more floral flavor, while dried lavender is more concentrated. The conventional conversion is one tablespoon fresh equals one teaspoon dried.
• Start small and adjust to taste. Lavender can be potent, especially if you're not used to it.
• Harvest flowers just as they begin to open. This is when the essential oils are at their most concentrated.

Best Lavender for Crafts &

Best Lavender for Flower Arranging

Lavender's beauty and fragrance make it a perfect choice for crafts and in dry or fresh flower arrangements. Here are some suggestions for the best lavender to use in your projects.

English Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) - Zones 5-9

    For Long-Lasting Color and Fragrance (Dried Flowers):

• Hidcote Blue: Compact with abundant dark blue flowers. Excellent for sachets, potpourri, and dried flower arrangements.
• Buena Vista:  Drought tolerant. Sturdy and easy to work with. A good choice for dried flower arrangements.
• Munstead: Compact with fragrant, deep purple flowers. Well-suited for sachets, potpourri, and dried flower bundles.
• Twicky Woolly: Compact with silvery foliage and fragrant purple flowers. Ideal for sachets, potpourri, and small dried flower arrangements.
• Folgate: Ideal for sachets, potpourri, and dried flower arrangements.
• Loddon Blue (Zone 5-8): Prolific bloomer with tall, blue flower spikes. Great for larger dried flower arrangements and wrTexture

Lavandin Hybrids (Lavandula x intermedia) - Zones 5-9

     For Bulk and Filler (Consider these for larger project:

• Provence: Large, fragrant blue-purple flowers with tall spikes. Provides a good amount of material for wreaths and larger potpourri creations.
• Grosso: Large flowers and strong fragrance make it a good candidate for wreaths potpourri  and sachets
• Dutch Mill: Very tall flower spikes, deep blue flowers. Excellent for large, dramatic dried flower arrangements.
• Super: Very tall, dense flower spikes with deep purple flowers. Offers substantial volume for wreaths and potpourri

Spanish Lavender (Lavandula stoechas) - Zones 7-9

     For Visual Interest and Texture:

• Anouk: Deep purple flowers with large, dark purple bracts. The bracts ad d visual interest to dried flower arrangements and wreaths.
• Fathead: Large, purple flower heads with prominent purple bracts. Striking in dried flower arrangements and wreaths due to the large flower heads.
• Rosemary: Narrow green leaves resembling rosemary, purple flowers with lavender-colored bracts. Offers unique foliage texture in dried flower arrangements and potpourri.

Suggestions:

• Harvest lavender flowers at peak bloom for the best color and fragrance when dried.
• Air dry lavender in a cool, dark, and well-ventilated location. Air drying in particular tends to preserve color, texture and fragrance.
• Bunch lavender stems together loosely or lay them flat on a drying screen or cookie sheet.
• Once dried, for most crafting projects, remove the flowers from the stems.

Crafting Projects for lavender:

• Create lavender sachets for drawers and closets.
• Make potpourri with a variety of lavender colors and other herbs and flowering plants. Potpourri can be renewed with lavender essential oil.
• Include dried lavender in soap and candle-making.
• Design lavender wreaths, swags add bouquets.
• Add dried lavender to handmade paper.
• Create lavender wands for a touch of whimsy.

The right lavender can help make your projects come alive. Even better, you can grow this wonderful little flower in your own backyard. Happy gardening.