When you ’re building a garden , one of the first plants that you might gravitate toward is lavender . Besides its gorgeous flower and calming scent , lavender is also incrediblyeasy to keep up . Plus , it ’s nifty for attracting pollinator to benefit the rest of your garden .
But did you recognize that there are in reality unlike types of lilac-colored plants ? In fact , there are four main class of lavender , and knowing what they are can help you select the right wing varietyfor your climate zone . In this guidebook , we ’ll aid you learn all about the different type of lavender so you may savor sweet , humble - maintenance flower throughout the growing season — or even all year long if you ’re prosperous !
What is lavender, and how do you care for it?
To start off with , what on the dot is lavender ? consort with a reposeful scent and purple flush , lavender is a hardy perennial herbaceous plant that comes from the Mediterranean . TheLavandulagenus contains about four twelve or so species of flowering plant . The leaves are diminished and gray - green , and the tubular flowers , often purple , come forth from long stalks .
Lavender can withstand pretty tough conditions . It can live on in inadequate dirt as long it ’s poor soil with honorable drain — you could alwaysamend your soilwith compost , perlite , and bark to improve its structure . lilac plants are actually quite drouth - patient of flower , although you ’ll want to water them more your first year of plant them .
Fertilizer is n’t a requisite . In fact , plant food that contains too much atomic number 7 can actually give flowers for foliage . What lavender does demand is full sun to produce its blossom throughout the growing time of year . After your lavender blossom , you ’ll desire to swerve back a third to a one-half of its size to keep it from getting too woody .
Different types of lavender plants
Of course , different lavender varieties may feature varying guardianship requirements . When you ’re break up out the perfect lavender plant for your home garden , deal your personal environment to figure out which motley would thrive in it .
English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
English lavender is n’t actually from England – most lavender plants are from the Mediterranean . English lavender is in all likelihood the most vernacular change of lavender out there . In term of perfume , it ’s extremely virile , beloved for its gentle and angelic aroma . English lavender can come in a all-encompassing range of flower colors and size . you’re able to determine it with white , pinkish , or purple flowers . Though you’re able to find very brusk or very tall varieties , the root on English lavender tend to grow between 2 and 3 feet marvellous .
Of all the lilac-colored change available , English lavender is the hardiest , so it ’s the idealistic choice for those who live in acool clime zone . In zones 5 through 8 , you’re able to grow English lavender from both semen and press cutting . English lavender typically flower from ahead of time to June 21 . Traditionally , people use this variety to create lavender products — think tea , oils , potpourri , and more .
Spanish lavender (Lavandula stoechas)
The splashy type of lavender is perhaps the Spanish lavender , which features gorgeous , vivacious flowers with flag - like bracts . If you ’re looking for a wide - spreading , low - care plantthat packs a lot of optic punch , this is your go - to choice . It ’s drouth resistant and sharply put out seeds — some gardeners even consider it invading . Another thing to regard is that Spanish lavender is n’t as fragrant as English lavender , which may be a drawback if you ’re looking for a calming aroma .
Still , it ’s easy to grow and apportion with both seeds and cut . Spanish lavender tends to bloom around fountain through summertime . swell for climate zones 8 and 9 , this lilac miscellany can tolerate ardent weather well . While most gardeners keep it as an ornamental industrial plant , some hoi polloi use Spanish lavender for oil and honey .
French lavender (Lavandula dentata)
Gallic lavender , or fringe lavender , features toothy , gray - unripe leaves — the foliage is the most distinct part about this plant , as the purple - blue flowers are not especially important . Although not as fragrant as English lavender , this lavender change has a pretty herbal fragrance .
If you live in a warm expanse , it ’s a hardy flower . Best grown in climate zones 7 through 9 , French lavender blooms from spring to summertime and can potentially put out short , rounded flower lace all twelvemonth long if temperature permit . For those who live in cooler surface area , this variety can also work as a container plant . While most people do n’t really expend French lavender for its bouquet or its oil , it can make for lovely cut flower .
Lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia)
Lavandin is actually a hybrid betweenLavandula angustifolia(English lavender ) andLavandula latifolia(Portuguese or spike lavender ) . This lilac type has a very unassailable fragrance , boast intense soapy notes that make it democratic in the perfume and personal care industries . It incline to be magniloquent than English lavender and have boneheaded stems with grey - purple flowers .
Lavandin abide both low and gamy temperatures , which make it suitable for climate zones 5 through 9 — it can withstand cold like English lavender and humid heat like Portuguese lavender . mention that it can only bepropagated through cut .
Other lavender varieties
There are plenty of other lavender type out there , but the ones above are the most vernacular . You may descend across theLavandula latifolia(mentioned above ) , which is the Lusitanian or spike lavender characterize by acute menthol banknote and gamey heating plant tolerance . There ’s also the Egyptian or fernleaf lavender ( Lavandula multifida ) — thispollinator - well-disposed flowerfeatures feathery farewell that can bestow an interesting texture to any garden in zones 8 through 10 .
No matter if you desire to make potpourri or just love vivacious purple flower in your garden , you ’ll have a lot of lavender plants to choose from . With these types of lavender in thinker , weigh your personal garden conditions and opt a suitable form for your landscape . With very little maintenance needed from your goal , you ’ll be capable to enjoy fresh efflorescence before you know it .
