What is Lavender?

Fast facts on Lavender

• Lavender was originally grown in northern Africa and the Mediterranean mountains, often for extraction of its essential oils.
• The ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans used lavender to treat many medicinal issues like anxiety, fungal infections, hair loss, and wounds. 
• Lavender was also historically used to treat depression, high blood pressure, nausea, menstrual pain, or eczema, among other conditions.
• Lavender is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a medical treatment, and should not be used in place of approved and prescribed medicines.

Lavender has been used for more than 2,500 years for fragrances,  therapeutics, and cooking and as an ornamental shrub. Egyptians used  lavender oil in embalming, and the Greeks benefited from its medicinal  properties for easing headaches, gastritis, and sore throats. It was  also used extensively by the Romans, who brought it with them throughout  the Empire. The Romans used the fragrant oil in their baths. From the Middle Ages  and Renaissance right up to modern times, lavender has been used in  perfumes, toilet waters, potpourris, and sachets. As an aromatherapy  oil, it relieves stress and aids sleep.  The oil’s antiseptic properties have also been used to heal wounds and burns.

The word “lavender” comes from the Latin lavare (“to wash”).  Lavender flowers represent calm, quiet, purity, serenity, devotion, and grace.  Purple is the color of royalty and speaks of elegance, refinement, and luxury.

Lavender can be used extensively in the home and kitchen.  Lavender, with its silvery-green foliage and flowering spikes of purple, pink, or white, is a perennial herb, belonging to the mint family.  When lightly blended into recipes, the flower buds lend a light, floral taste to meats,  seafood, desserts, ice cream, or summer drinks.

There are approximately 45 recognized species of the lavender plant (Lavandula)  grown throughout temperate regions around the globe. The five most popular types of  lavender are English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, and Lavandin.

English lavender or common lavender (Lavandula angustifolia):  A 2-foot-high, compact woody plant with spikes of purple, lavender,  pink, or white flowers that bloom from late spring to midsummer. It is  highly fragrant and grows in well-draining soil. It is the best type of lavender to use in baking recipes.

French lavender (Lavandula dentata):  French lavender has light tinted flowers with a mild scent and sharply aromatic toothed leaves. It grows from 12 inches to 36 inches high and blooms all  the way from spring to fall.  French lavender is mostly grown for perfumes,  sachets, and potpourris.

Portuguese or spike lavender (Lavandula latifolia):  Has a stronger scent than English lavender. Its pale lilac flowers sway  on long stems and bloom from late spring to late summer. The plant  grows from 1 foot to 3 feet high. The oil from Portuguese lavender is  prized as an antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral.

Spanish lavender (Lavandula stoechas):  Has distinctive white flowers with long petals (ears) arising from the top  of the flower head that fade to pink and deep purple as the plant  matures. Only the leaves are fragrant in this species, and they are used  for essential oils and potpourris.

 
Lavandin (Lavandula × intermedia)  is a hybrid of English and Portuguese lavender with strongly fragrant  flowers and leaves. Lavandin grows in mounds up to 30 inches high and  blooms from mid- to late summer.  It is  popularly used for perfumes and  potpourris, but not for cooking.