English Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is widely considered to be the most fragrant variety of lavender. This variety of lavender is known for its subtle, sweet and herbaceous scent. It is widely used in perfumes and candles, and is popular in aromatherapy, too.
English Lavender is renowned for its medicinal and anti-inflammatory benefits, and is widely used in ointments and creams to help soothe minor skin irritations. English Lavender essential oil is also believed to help reduce stress and calm the mind.
For those looking for the most fragrant variety of lavender, English Lavender is the best choice.
What are the four types of lavender?
The four types of lavender are English, French, Spanish and Hybrids.
English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is most recognizable for its sweet and fragrant aroma, making it ideal for aromatherapy, potpourri, sachets, and other uses. English Lavender is hardy and blooms from early summer until late fall.
French lavender (Lavandula stoechas) is recognizable by its distinctive purple flowers and cone shape on top of the stem. French lavender, even though it still offers a pleasant scent, is not as strong as English Lavender.
It blooms only in the summer, and needs warmer temperatures for best growing success.
Spanish lavender (Lavandula latifolia) is the least fragrant variety and is best used in culinary applications and in making lavender sugar. It prefers warm dry climates and can handle temperatures up to 105 degrees Fahrenheit.
Unlike the other two types, this lavender type produces the most showy flower heads.
Hybrids are a combination of two or more lavender varieties. They are bred to produce the best attributes from each parent. For example, some hybrids may be more fragrant like English lavender but bloom for longer periods like French lavender, likely due to its increased heat tolerance.
Hybrids can also vary greatly in size, shape, and color, making them a popular choice for gardeners.
Which lavender plant is the prettiest?
The prettiest lavender plant depends on the preference of the individual viewer. Some may find the Royal Velvet Lavender to be the most beautiful, as it has large, deep-purple colored flowers. Others may prefer the hybrid Lavandula x intermedia Grosso, which is a tall-growing variety with silver-green foliage and bright fragrant flowers.
Still others may think that English Lavender is the prettiest, with its small, tightly packed flower heads and soft grey-green foliate. Regardless of which one you think is the most beautiful, there is no denying that all varieties of lavender are stunning and make for a lovely addition to any garden.
Which is the easiest lavender to grow?
English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is generally considered the easiest lavender to grow in the home garden. This lavender grows best in warm climates in well-draining soil and requires full sun to thrive.
English lavender is a hardy, drought-tolerant plant that does not require a lot of maintenance and can be drought tolerant. English lavender usually grows to a height of 1-2 feet and has a long blooming season and beautiful gray-green foliage that is fragrant when touched.
Deadheading, or removing spent flower stalks, helps to ensure the plants put their energy into forming new flowers. English lavender has a longer blooming season than some other lavender varieties and its flowers attract both bees and butterflies.
Is French or English lavender better?
Both French and English lavender have different advantages and disadvantages. English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is the most popular variety due to its sweet aroma and vibrant purple flowers. It’s suitable for ornamental use and is the most common type grown for essential oils.
French lavender (Lavandula dentata) is usually considered more fragrant than English lavender, and it has delicate, lightly colored flowers and a long-lasting scent. It’s great for culinary uses, as it has a strong and lingering taste.
In terms of which is better, it really just comes down to preference. If you are looking for a sweet and fragrant lavender for essential oils and ornamentals, English may be preferable. If you are looking for a more intense aroma and flavor for culinary uses, French may be a better option.
Overall, both varieties of lavender provide beauty, fragrance and various uses.
Which lavender is Hidcote or munstead?
Hidcote is a type of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia variety) from the English lavender species, while Munstead is a type of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Munstead Strain) from the same species. Hidcote lavender has grey-green foliage and deep purple-blue flower spikes, while Munstead lavender has lighter blue-green foliage and lighter purple-blue flower spikes.
Both of these varieties are prized for the sweet-smelling scent they produce and are often used in fragrances, potpourris, and herbal tea blends. When it comes to growing them, Hidcote lavender is very drought-tolerant and can be grown in full sun or sheltered areas, while Munstead lavender is slightly less tolerant of dry conditions, requiring some shade and protection from the wind.
Both of these lavenders can also be propagated from cuttings and are hardy in USDA Hardiness Zones 5 to 8.
What’s the difference between English and French lavender?
The main difference between English and French lavender is the variety of the plant or cultivar itself. English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is native to the Mediterranean region and is a small shrub with small, narrow bluish-green leaves.
This variety of Lavender has a sweet, floral scent with hints of camphor and rosemary and has the classic purple flowers. French Lavender (Lavandula Stoechas) is native to Southern Europe and North Africa.
It is a taller shrub with broader, grey-green leaves and larger, showy blooms with two purple “petals” and a crest of purple bracts. The scent from French Lavender has a stronger aroma and a touch of sweetness with a hint of eucalyptus and spice.
Does all lavender smell the same?
No, lavender does not all smell the same. Different varieties of lavender plants produce diverse essential oil profiles, resulting in different fragrances. For example, Lavandin is a hybrid of true lavender, which is usually considered to have a sharper and camphorous scent, and spike lavender, which is described as having a potent and medicinal smell.
In contrast, English lavender, sometimes referred to as Fine or Royal lavender, is associated with a light and intensely sweet aroma. Furthermore, differences in growing conditions, like the soil type, the amount of sunlight, the altitude, and other environmental factors can also affect the way lavender smells.
Which smells better English or French lavender?
This is a matter of personal opinion, since different people can prefer different smells. That said, in general, English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) tends to have a more bold, camphorous scent compared to French lavender (Lavandula stoechas), which tends to have a sweeter, slightly balsamic aroma.
French lavender is sometimes referred to as “sweet lavender” due to its more mild, floral scent. Additionally, it is important to note that the smell of lavender may vary depending on a variety of factors such as age, weather, soil, season, and the local climate.
Ultimately, the best way to decide for yourself which smell you prefer is to sample different varieties of lavender to get a sense of their respective scents.
How can I make my lavender smell stronger?
One way to make your lavender smell stronger is to consider growing a hybrid variety of lavender. Hybrid varieties of lavender tend to have higher concentrations of essential oils and can therefore be more fragrant.
Additionally, lavender plants benefit from proper care and maintenance, so you should make sure that you are supplying your plants with adequate amounts of sun, water, and nutrients. You can also prune and trim your lavender plants regularly to keep them healthy and produce more fragrant flowers.
Additionally, lavender oils can be used to supplement the natural oil production of your plants and make them smell even stronger. Finally, you can place your lavender in areas where smell can be easily noticed, such as near a window, near the front door of your home, or in the bathroom.
What is Munstead lavender used for?
Munstead lavender (Lavandula Angustifolia Munstead) is a variety of lavender valued for its highly aromatic clusters of flowers, which consist of small violet blooms. It has a fresh herbal scent, with slightly spicy undertones, and its essential oil is used for many purposes.
Munstead lavender is widely used in alternate medicines and cosmetics, as it offers a range of medicinal benefits. In aromatherapy, Munstead lavender oil is widely used as a calming and stress relief agent, to deodorize and freshen up a stale environment, and to promote better sleep.
Applying the essential oil on the skin can help treat acne, while the relaxant and anti-inflammatory properties of lavender oil help to tackle rashes, sunburns and insect bites. In addition to being used in different therapies, Munstead lavender is often used to make soaps and perfumes as well as lotions and creams.
As a culinary herb, Munstead lavender is most commonly used to add flavour and scent to desserts, preserves, baked goods and teas. Moreover, it is grown for ornamental purposes in gardens, where it attracts bees and other pollinators to the garden, making the area more vivid and vibrant.
With its many uses, Munstead lavender is gaining more and more popularity all around the world.
How many varieties of lavender are there?
There are over 39 known varieties of lavender, depending on the species or cultivar. The most common species of lavenders are Lavandula angustifolia, Lavandula x intermedia, Lavandula latifolia, Lavandula stoechas, and Lavandula dentata.
Within these species, there are a wide range of cultivars that offer different characteristics in terms of flowering, aroma, size, and general appearance. For example, Lavandula angustifolia has more than 150 known cultivars.
Some popular examples of this species include ‘Munstead’, ‘Hidcote’, ‘Grosso’, ‘Belle’ and ‘Folgate’.
The cultivars of Lavandula x intermedia include ‘Grosso’, ‘Jean Davis’, ‘Phenomenal’ and ‘Gros Bleu’. Lavandula latifolia has cultivars such as ‘Spike’, ‘Giant Spike’, ‘Portuguese’ and ‘Verdon’. Meanwhile, Lavandula stoechas has numerous varieties such as ‘Anouk’, ‘Kew Red’ and ‘Fenland Grey’.
Lastly, Lavandula dentata is commonly known as French Lavender and has three known cultivars called ‘Crispa’, ‘Tebud’ and ‘Tucker’.
How can I tell what kind of lavender I have?
To identify the type of lavender you have, start by looking for clues in the characteristics of the lavender. Examine the leaves to see if they are gray or green, and note whether they are long thin leaves or short and narrow.
Check the flowers to see if they are long stems with bell-shaped blooms or tubular-shaped blooms. Observe the color of the flowers, which can range from white to dark purple. Finally, pay attention to the aroma of the plant, which can also be indicative of the type of lavender.
Additionally, research the different varieties of lavender to narrow down the possibilities. Look online or in gardening books to compare the characteristics of the lavender to the descriptions of various types.
Some common varieties of lavender include English Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), French Lavender (Lavandula stoechas), Spike Lavender (Lavandula latifolia), and Spanish Lavender (Lavandula stoechas).
In addition to the physical characteristics of your lavender, you can also test the soil to check for certain minerals. Lavender prefers a soil with plenty of calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium. If you take a soil sample to your local garden center, they can test it and tell you if the soil is too alkaline or acidic for lavender.
By gathering these clues and doing research online, you should be able to determine the type of lavender you have.
What kind of lavender is a perennial?
Perennial lavenders are members of the Lavandula genus of flowering plants and are known for their aromatic foliage, fragrant flowers, and versatile uses. Some of the most popular varieties of perennial lavender are English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), Lavender Stoechas, French Lavender (Lavandula dentata), Spanish Lavender (Lavandula stoechas), and the Giant Lavender (Lavandula latifolia).
English lavender is a popular choice, as it enjoys a long blooming season (May-September) and is one of the hardiest varieties, growing well even in poor soils. It also produces finely cut foliage and intense purple-violet flowers, offering bright colors to the garden.
Lavender Stoechas and French Lavender are also popular, as they offer an array of colors ranging from pale pink to bright purple, and are tolerant of both hotter and colder climates. Spanish Lavender is preferred by many, as it offers a beautiful display of colors with violet flowers and grey-green foliage held atop tall, thin stems.
The Giant Lavender is another attractive option, boasting fragrant, lightly-colored flowers and soft, furry foliage that commonly reaches a height and width of 6 feet or more. All of these varieties are low-maintenance plants, preferring soils that are on the dry side and plenty of sun, and all of them easily propagate from cuttings.