| Menu list goes here |
Herbal Database Search Results
Back
to: Pathways Main Search
Page For Metaphysical uses
visit The Witchs Haven
Lavandula angustifolia
| Common name: |
Lavender |
Family: |
Labiatae |
| Author: |
Mill. |
Botanical references: |
11, 200 |
| Synonyms: |
Lavandula vera (DC.), Lavandula spica (L.), Lavandula officinalis (Chaix.) |
| Known Hazards: |
None known |
| Range: |
Europe - Mediterranean. |
| Habitat: |
Dry grassy slopes amongst rocks[9], in exposed, usually parched, hot rocky situations often on calcareous soils[200]. |
| Edibility Rating (1-5): |
4 | Medicinal Rating (1-5): | 3 |
| Other Possible Synonyms: | From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below. |
| L. delphinensis[H]
L. fragrans[H]
L. latifolia[E,G,H,HORTIPLEX,P]
|
| Other Common Names: | From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below. |
| Alfazema Brava [E], Alhucema [E], Alhucena [E], Broad-leaf Lavender [H], Broadleaved Lavender [P], English Lavender [H,P,B], Espliego [E], Grande Lavande [E], Lavande Aspic [E], Lavando Spigo [E], Lavanta [E], Lavender [E,H], Lavender Vera [H], Spijk Lavendel [E], Spik Lavendel [E], Spike [E], Spike Lavender [H], Spikenard [E], True Lavender [H], |
| Epithets: | From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets |
|
angustifolia = narrow leaved;
|
| Systematics: | From a USDA
Plants Database |
|
Order: Lamiales. Renamed to Lamiaceae -- Mint family
|
| Other Range Info: |
From the Ethnobotany Database |
|
Britain; Europe; France; Germany; Italy; Netherlands; Portugal; Spain; Turkey; Us(Az)
|
Physical Characteristics
An evergreen shrub growing to 1.2m by 1m . It is hardy to zone 5. It is in leaf all year, in flower from July to September, and the seeds ripen from August to October. The scented flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees and Lepidoptera (Moths & Butterflies).
It is noted for attracting wildlife.
We rate it 4/5 for edibility and
3/5 for medicinal use.
The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil.
The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline and saline soils.
It cannot grow in the shade.
It requires dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought.
The plant can tolerate maritime exposure.
Habitats and Possible Locations
Hedge, Cultivated Beds, In Walls, In South Wall, In East Wall, In West Wall.
Cultivar 'Hidcote': Hedge, Cultivated Beds, In Walls, In South Wall, In East Wall, In West Wall.
Cultivar 'Munstead': Hedge, Cultivated Beds, In Walls, In South Wall, In East Wall, In West Wall.
Cultivar 'Sharon Roberts': Hedge, Cultivated Beds, In Walls, In South Wall, In East Wall, In West Wall.
Edible Uses
Condiment; Tea.
Leaves, petals and flowering tips - raw. Used as a condiment in salads,
soups, stews etc[2, 15, 183]. They provide a very aromatic flavour[7] and are
too strong to be used in any quantity[K].
The fresh or dried flowers are used as a tea[183]. The fresh flowers are
also crystallized or added to jams, ice-creams, vinegars etc as a
flavouring[238].
An essential oil from the flowers is used as a food flavouring[183].
Medicinal Uses
Disclaimer
Antihalitosis; Antiseptic; Antispasmodic; Aromatherapy; Aromatic; Carminative; Cholagogue; Diuretic; Nervine; Sedative; Stimulant; Stomachic; Tonic.
Lavender is a commonly used household herb, though it is better known
for its sweet-scented aroma than for its medicinal qualities[254]. However,
it is an important relaxing herb, having a soothing and relaxing affect upon
the nervous system[254]. The flowering spikes can be dried and used
internally in a tincture, though the extracted essential oil is more commonly
used. The essential oil is much more gentle in its action than most other
essential oils and can be safely applied direct to the skin as an antiseptic
to help heal wounds, burns etc[254].
An essential oil obtained from the flowers is antihalitosis, powerfully
antiseptic, antispasmodic, aromatic, carminative, cholagogue, diuretic,
nervine, sedative, stimulant, stomachic and tonic[4, 7, 9, 21, 165, 238]. It
is not often used internally, though it is a useful carminative and
nervine[4]. It is mainly used externally where it is an excellent restorative
and tonic - when rubbed into the temples, for example, it can cure a nervous
headache, and it is a delightful addition to the bath-water[4]. Its powerful
antiseptic properties are able to kill many of the common bacteria such as
typhoid, diphtheria, streptococcus and Pneumococcus, as well as being a
powerful antidote to some snake venoms[244]. It is very useful in the
treatment of burns, sunburn, scalds, bites, vaginal discharge, anal fissure
etc, where it also soothes the affected part of the body and can prevent the
formation of permanent scar tissue[4, 238].
The essential oil is used in aromatherapy. Its keyword is 'Immune
system'[210]. We have a more details factsheet on the history and medicinal use of this plant. Email webmaster@pfaf.org for details.
Other Uses
Essential; Hedge; Incense; Pot-pourri; Repellent.
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[21, 46, 57, 171, 238] and
as an insect repellent[201]. When growing the plant for its essential oil
content, it is best to harvest the flowering stems as soon as the flowers
have faded[245]. Yields of 0.8 - 1% of the oil are obtained[7].
The aromatic leaves and flowers are used in pot-pourri[238] and as an insect
repellent in the linen cupboard etc[14, 18, 20]. They have been used in the
past as a strewing herb in order to impart a sweet smell to rooms and to
deter insects[244]. The leaves are also added to bath water for their
fragrance and therapeutic properties[244]. They are also said to repel
mice[20].
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[245].
Lavender can be grown as a low hedge, responding well to trimming[29]. There
are several varieties, such as 'Hidcote Variety', 'Loddon Pink' and 'Folgate
Blue' that are suitable for using as dwarf hedges 30 - 50cm tall[245].
Cultivation details
Succeeds in almost any soil so long as it is well-drained and not too
acid[1, 200]. Prefers a sunny position in a neutral to alkaline soil[1, 4,
14]. Prefers a light warm dry soil[37]. When grown in rich soils the plants
tend to produce more leaves but less essential oils[4]. Established plants
are drought tolerant[190]. Plants are very tolerant of salt wind exposure[K].
When growing for maximum essential oil content, the plant must be given a
very warm sunny position and will do best in a light sandy soil, the
fragrance being especially pronounced in a chalky soil[245].
Plants are hardy to between -10 and -15°c[184].
Lavender is a very ornamental plant that is often grown in the herb garden
and is also grown commercially for its essential oil[1, 4]. There are several
named varieties[182, 183].
Not a very long-lived plant, it can be trimmed to keep it tidy but is
probably best replaced every 10 years[200]. Any trimming is best done in
spring and should not be done in the autumn since this can encourage new
growth that will not be very cold-hardy[200].
A good bee plant, also attracting butterflies and moths[7, 24, 30].
Lavender makes a good companion for most plants[54], growing especially well
with cabbages[14].
Propagation
Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed[4]. 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.
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[78]. 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[1].
Layering.
Scent
-
Plant: Fresh Crushed Dried
- All parts of the plant are strongly aromatic.
Cultivars
- 'Sharon Roberts'
- Hardy to at least -18°c, it has been known to withstand temperatures down to -23°c[183].
The plant flowers twice each year, once in June and once in September[183].
- 'Munstead'
- A dwarf, compact grower to 60cm tall[183]. It blooms several weeks earlier than other varieties[183].
- 'Loddon Pink'
- A pink-flowered form growing to about 45cm tall[200], it can be grown as a dwarf hedge[245].
- 'Hidcote'
- An early flowering[11], slow, compact grower, to 30cm tall[200], it can be grown as a dwarf hedge[245].
- 'Folgate Blue'
- A very free-flowering compact form, growing only 30cm tall[11], it is suitable for growing as a dwarf hedge[245].
Suppliers
For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.
PFAF Web Pages
This plant is mentioned in the following web pages
Web References
- Details of Medicinal Uses, Habitats, etc. in M. Grieve A Modern Herbal (1931) [4]
- [H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
- [E] Ethnobotany Data
(common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
- [V] Images
from the Vascular Plant Image Gallery of the Texas A&M Bioinformatics Working Group.
- [B] Data
(Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
- [G] Data
(Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
- [PHARM] Phytochemical Data
(common names, uses, countries) from Dr Duke's Phytochemical Database.
- [P] Data.
(uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
- [HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database
References for Lavandula latifolia (a possible synonym).
- [H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
- [E] Ethnobotany Data
(common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
- [G] Data
(Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
- [PHARM] Phytochemical Data
(common names, uses, countries) from Dr Duke's Phytochemical Database.
- [P] Data.
(uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
- [HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database
References for Lavandula officinalis (a possible synonym).
References for Lavandula spica (a possible synonym).
References for Lavandula vera (a possible synonym).
- [H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
References for lavandula officinalis (a possible synonym).
See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.
Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.
[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
[2] Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.
[7] Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald 1984 ISBN 0-356-10541-5
Covers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs.
[9] Launert. E. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn 1981 ISBN 0-600-37216-2
Covers plants in Europe. a drawing of each plant, quite a bit of interesting information.
[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
[14] Holtom. J. and Hylton. W. Complete Guide to Herbs. Rodale Press 1979 ISBN 0-87857-262-7
A good herbal.
[15] Bryan. J. and Castle. C. Edible Ornamental Garden. Pitman Publishing 1976 ISBN 0-273-00098-5
A small book with interesting ideas for edible plants in the ornamental garden.
[18] Philbrick H. and Gregg R. B. Companion Plants. Watkins 1979
Details of beneficial and antagonistic relationships between neighbouring plants.
[20] Riotte. L. Companion Planting for Successful Gardening. Garden Way, Vermont, USA. 1978 ISBN 0-88266-064-0
Fairly good.
[21] Lust. J. The Herb Book. Bantam books 1983 ISBN 0-553-23827-2
Lots of information tightly crammed into a fairly small book.
[24] Baines. C. Making a Wildlife Garden.
Fairly good with lots of ideas about creating wildlife areas in the garden.
[29] Shepherd. F.W. Hedges and Screens. Royal Horticultural Society. 1974 ISBN 0900629649
A small but informative booklet giving details of all the hedging plants being grown in the R.H.S. gardens at Wisley in Surrey.
[30] Carter D. Butterflies and Moths in Britain and Europe. Pan 1982 ISBN 0-330-26642-x
An excellent book on Lepidoptera, it also lists their favourite food plants.
[37] Thompson. B. The Gardener's Assistant. Blackie and Son. 1878
Excellent general but extensive guide to gardening practices in the 19th century. A very good section on fruits and vegetables with many little known species.
[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
[54] Hatfield. A. W. How to Enjoy your Weeds. Frederick Muller Ltd 1977 ISBN 0-584-10141-4
Interesting reading.
[57] Schery. R. W. Plants for Man.
Fairly readable but not very comprehensive. Deals with plants from around the world.
[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.
[165] Mills. S. Y. The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism.
An excellent small herbal.
[171] Hill. A. F. Economic Botany. The Maple Press 1952
Not very comprehensive, but it is quite readable and goes into some a bit of detail about the plants it does cover.
[182] Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2
Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.
[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
[184] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Shrubs. Pan Books 1989 ISBN 0-330-30258-2
Excellent photographs and a terse description of 1900 species and cultivars.
[190] Chatto. B. The Dry Garden. Dent 1982 ISBN 0460045512
A good list of drought resistant plants with details on how to grow them.
[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
[201] Allardice.P. A - Z of Companion Planting. Cassell Publishers Ltd. 1993 ISBN 0-304-34324-2
A well produced and very readable book.
[210] Westwood. C. Aromatherapy - A guide for home use. Amberwood Publishing Ltd 1993 ISBN 0-9517723-0-9
An excellent little pocket guide. Very concise.
[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.
[244] Phillips. R. & Foy. N. Herbs Pan Books Ltd. London. 1990 ISBN 0-330-30725-8
Deals with all types of herbs including medicinal, culinary, scented and dye plants. Excellent photographs with quite good information on each plant.
[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.
[254] Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants Dorling Kindersley. London 1996 ISBN 9-780751-303148
An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world.
Readers Comments
Lavandula angustifolia
()
Fri May 30 17:04:18 2003
I love Lavender.
It is sooooo sexy......you cn just curl up with a good book and a lavender scented sachet
and a nice cup of tea and just relax into an erotic type peaceful
state.....i love Lavender. I love it i love it i love it. I also find in quit suthing on my bumps and bruises
for extra excertion on my body.after a long day of working the street corners
you can just come home and slip into a nice lavender bath and feel relaxed and calm. I owe many fun nights to lavender
and its way of making me feel fantastic.
Thanks to Lavender and it's sexiness
*PS........I LOVE LAVENDER!!!!!
Main Search Page
Bibliography
Plant information taken from the
Plants For A Future -
Species Database.
Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF, UK.
Website: www.pfaf.org Phone: 0845 458 4719/_44(0) 1208 872963 This page (UK) http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Lavandula+angustifolia
This page (US) http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Lavandula+angustifolia
|
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons License.
(You can copy, distribute, display this works but: Attribution is required, its for Non-Commercial purposes, and it's Share Alike (GNUish/copyleft) i.e. has an identical license.)
We also ask that you let us know (michael@thewitchshaven.com) if
you link to, redistribute, make a derived work or do anything groovy with this information.
|
|
