Lavender (Lavandula x intermedia)

At a glance

Lifecycle: Perennial (hardy)
Exposure: Full sun
Frost limit: −28.9 °C

Cultivation

Succeeds in almost any soil so long as it is well-drained and not too acid. Plants are hardy to between -10 and -15°c. Lavender is a very ornamental plant that is often grown in the herb garden and is also grown commercially for its essential oil. Not a very long-lived plant, it can be trimmed to keep it tidy but is probably best replaced every 10 years. A good bee plant, also attracting butterflies and moths. Lavender makes a good companion for most plants.

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed. It usually germinates in 1 - 3 months at 15°c. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse or cold frame for their first winter, planting them out in late spring after the last expected frosts. This species is a hybrid and will not come true from seed. Cuttings of half-ripe wood 7 - 10cm with a heel, July/August in a frame. Usually very east, a high percentage will root within a few weeks. Grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter and plant them out in late spring after the last expected frosts. Cuttings 7cm with a heel succeed at almost any time of the year. Layering.

Edible uses

The following uses are for L. angustifolia, they should also apply to this hybrid:- Leaves, petals and flowering tips - raw. Used as a condiment in salads, soups, stews etc and are too strong to be used in any quantity[K]. The fresh or dried flowers are used as a tea. An essential oil from the flowers is used as a food flavouring.

Medicinal uses

The following uses are for L. angustifolia, they should also apply to this hybrid:- Lavender is a commonly used household herbal remedy. An essential oil obtained from the flowers is antihalitosis, antiseptic, antispasmodic, aromatic, carminative, cholagogue, diuretic, nervine, sedative, stimulant, stomachic and tonic. The essential oil is used in aromatherapy. Its keyword is 'Immune system'.

Material uses

The following uses are for the closely related L. angustifolia, they should also apply to this hybrid:- The essential oil that is obtained from the flowers is exquisitely scented and has a very wide range of applications, both in the home and commercially. It is commonly used in soap making, in making high quality perfumes (it is also used in 'Eau de Cologne'), it is also used as a detergent and cleaning agent, a food flavouring etc. The aromatic leaves and flowers are used in pot-pourri. The flowering stems, once the flowers have been removed for use in pot-pourri etc, can be tied in small bundles and burnt as incense sticks. Can be grown as a low hedge, responding well to trimming.