The display gardens at Lost Mountain Lavender Farm in Sequim help you compare and choose your favorite varieties.
The display gardens at Lost Mountain Lavender Farm in Sequim help you compare and choose your favorite varieties.
Lavender Varieties
Most sources list the Mediterranean area—Greece, France, Spain, and the North African coast—as the native habitat of lavender, but several botanists think that India also may have been part of the native range. Romans used it to perfume and disinfect their baths and probably carried it to England when they moved north to conquer. It was one of the plants brought by colonists to America with other favored species to make the new world feel more like home.
The botanical name for lavender is Lavandula, its genus name, which comes from the Latin lavandus, “to be washed,” or lavare, “to wash.” Lavender is in the same family as mint, Lamiaceae, along with rosemary, thyme, and sage, and displays the characteristic square stem, opposite leaves, and lipped corolla on the flower. The taxonomy of lavender is confusing. The designations French, English, and Spanish are not botanical reference points and sometimes refer only to the country in which the lavenders are planted. Most of the varieties called English are of the species angustifolia, but this species is also planted in France. Because of such ambiguity, I don’t refer to varieties by country name. I suggest you do the same and get used to looking at a plant’s label—the botanical one, consisting of the genus and species in Latin, and the variety name in English. Using the Latin names may seem difficult, but you will be less confused in the long run, and if you are particular about what you plant, this is the only way to be accurate.
L. a. ‘Premier’ as part of a mixed perennial border at Well-Sweep Herb Farm in Port Murray, New Jersey.
In regard to using a country name, however, there is an exception. ‘Dutch’ is a variety name of the Lavandula x intermedia, and a handsome variety it is too. ‘Dutch’ refers to one specific plant and is not a catchall for every lavender grown in the Netherlands.
Some of the hardy lavenders are known as lavandins. This name refers to the hybrid of Lavandula angustifolia and L. latifolia, which produces L. x intermedia, a lovely cross between the two parents with excellent characteristics of both. Since Lavandula x intermedia is a mouthful to say, the shortened version in garden-speak is lavandin. These plants generally bloom about one month later than the angustifolias.
Lavender has no known insect pests, but too much moisture causes root rot and will kill the plant, as will radical pruning of old, woody plants. Plants in a favored location can live twenty to twenty-five years, but some commercial farms replace shrubs after five years of growth for the best oil production.
Flowers typically bloom in June, July, or August. Some species have a second, sparser bloom (about 25 percent of the first cutting) although some varieties have been bred to produce a larger second flush of bloom.
Because lavender is so easy for experts to pollinate, new varieties are offered to the public each year. In her book Lavender: The Growers Guide, Virginia McNaughton lists over two hundred and fifty named varieties and cultivars. Plant breeders are constantly seeking better flower or foliage color, different growth habits, earlier or later bloom times, the ability to rebloom, greater hardiness, and especially, plants with combinations of the most desirable characteristics. Some varieties are hard to distinguish because differences such as hardiness or bloom time are not immediately apparent.
Annabelle and Lucy Platt visit their neighbors’ garden on Massachusetts’ North Shore to admire the lavender and other herbs.
Some species grow readily from seed and are very easy to hybridize. The process of breeding a new variety is a time-demanding but simple concept. Start with a specific goal—for example, lavender with deep pink flowers that will look pretty when dried. Begin with a pink variety like Lavandula angustifolia ‘Jean Davis’. Look at all of the ‘Jean Davis’ plants in flower; select the ones with the deepest color flowers, harvest the seed, and plant them. Isolate plants from other lavenders so that they are not cross-pollinated by insects. After they bloom, select the deepest pink plants from the first generation. Discard any plants with other undesirable characteristics. Harvest the seed and plant a second generation. Again, select the deepest pink, healthy-looking plants and discard the others. You now may want to hand-pollinate the plants with the deepest pink flowers, by touching pollen from the stamens to the top of the pistil of another flower on the same plant. A small paintbrush can be used to facilitate this process.
After six or eight generations from planting seed to maturing seed, the characteristics of the plant should be stabilized, and you will have plants of a reliable deep pink color. Although seed companies develop their own varieties in their breeding programs, they also rely on home gardeners who like to experiment to bring in seed they have developed in this way. After further testing and development, a seed company might choose to go into production with a new named variety that could even be named after you.
Is it really necessary to have a choice of so many varieties? I read of two new cultivars that look the same to the naked eye but bear different names because they have different DNA, visible only under a high-powered microscope. This is perhaps of interest to botanists but irrelevant and confusing to most gardeners. Some varieties are very hard to find and may be available from only one source, but there probably are others that will serve your purpose just as well and are more readily available. Determine the characteristics most important to you and start your selection there.
Lavender Hedge, a private garden near Philadelphia where Mary Vogel planted the striking combination of L. a. ‘Croxton’s Wild’ with artemisia.
Factors to Consider in Selecting a Variety
Hardiness
Most lavenders are hardy to zone 5 and grow well in zones 5 through 8, though some varieties will grow in zones 9 and 10. Some gardeners grow lavender successfully as a perennial with protection in zones 3 and 4. Hardiness to frost is not the only planting consideration, however. Although lavenders can take dry heat, they do not do well in high humidity. The American Horticultural Society has developed a chart called the United States Plant Heat-Zone Map. It divides the country into twelve zones according to the average number of days on which the heat rises above 86 degrees F. The heatzone guide is a companion to the better-known USDA map of horticultural zones divided according to average low temperatures. Since lavenders, like most plants, are affected by humid heat as well as frost, consulting both maps to find your frost and heat zones should tell you how well your plants will do.
If you want to sell fresh lavender to florists or retail at a farm stand, you must base your choice of variety on length of flowering spike, on sweet aroma, and on flower color. Foliage is less important here, since much of it will be stripped for the vase. For floral designers, stem length is critical, as clients typically pay more for a larger arrangement than for a small posy.
Height of the Shrub
In the garden, the height of the foliage may be more important than the length of the flower stems. If you are planting a low hedge in a traditional herb bed, one of the compact plants, such as ‘Munstead’, the pretty pink ‘Jean Davis’, or ‘Dwarf Blue’, which grows to 12 inches on mounds of gray foliage, may be your answer. For smaller plants, look for the appellation nana, Latin for “dwarf,” in the botanical name. Plants may be described as “dwarf ” or “compact” in catalogs. For taller plants in the annual border, I love the tender fernleaf lavender (L. multifida). If you want a perennial hedge by a walkway, look for the tallest, hardiest variety you can find, perhaps L. x intermedia ‘Grappenhall’, with dark blue-purple blooms 40 inches high.
Color and Texture of Foliage
Foliage color and texture can be at least as important as flower color or more so, since the foliage is present for more months of the year than the flowers. Lavender foliage is particularly attractive. New shoots are a delicate green, and the foliage matures to gray-green (L. stoechas), blue-green, or gray-white (L. a. ‘Grey Lady’). L. viridis has chartreuse foliage and creamy yellow flowers. L. lanata ‘Boiss’ has woolly leaves. The tender varieties of L. dentata have deep green, fragrant leaves that are toothed on the edges and make fine winter pot plants. If you want a wide leaf with a definite presence of its own, consider one of the intermedias.
The Flower
If you examine a lavender flower closely, you will see that the petals, which make up the corolla, emerge from the bud, or calyx. Both the calyx and corolla are visible as the flower matures. If you plan to cut the flower spikes for drying, it’s only the color of the calyx that matters. The petals don’t dry well; they turn brown and fall off. The calyx is usually somewhat different in tone from the petals and should be as dark a color as possible for a beautiful dried flower.
If you want to dry the flowers for use in winter bouquets, a deep rich color is all-important. For this purpose, I prefer L. a. ‘Hidcote’ or L. x intermedia ‘Dutch’. I use ‘Grosso’ or ‘Provence’ when color is less important and the length of the flower spike is critical.
In the garden, white or pink lavender may surprise your visitors, as many people don’t realize that these flowers come in hues other than purple. White varieties often have alba in the botanical name. Popular pink varieties are L. a. ‘Jean Davis’ and ‘Lodden Pink’. Don’t expect white or pink lavender to dry to a pretty shade. For a child’s garden, plant TL. pedunculata (also listed as L. stoechas pedunculata), which has petals that stand well above the flower heads and look like butterfly wings. This is a tender plant, so if you live north of zone 8, treat it as an annual or plant it in a pot in the garden and bring it inside during the winter. This variety is sometimes called Spanish lavender, but beware, as there are other varieties also called Spanish lavender that don’t have the large wings.
The hardy lavender ‘Jean Davis’ has pink flowers but bright white buds that light up a spring garden.
Flowering Schedule
Lavender is usually considered a summer-blooming flower, but don’t expect too much from new seedlings the first year in which you grow or buy the plant. By the second year, you will have a nice, showy plant. If you are designing a garden where time of bloom is important, L. a. ‘Tucker’s Early Purple’ gives you a head start in the garden. L. angustifolia ‘Irene Doyle’ (or ‘Two Seasons’), ‘Pastor’s Pride’, ‘Sharon Roberts’, and ‘Buena Vista’ have all been bred to give a strong second flush of growth in the fall. In general, the angustifolias bloom about a month before the intermedias in a zone 5 garden. If you want an early variety, ask the horticulturist at your local garden center or herb farm.
L. angustifolia is sometimes called English lavender, true lavender, L. vera, or L. officinalis. Angustifolia means, “narrow-leaved.” Because of the sweet aroma and taste, it’s the best species for cooking. Most will flower from seed in two years. This species contains many varieties, which all have a sweet fragrance and flower heads appearing on one short spike:
‘Alba’: white flowers, stems 20 inches long, flower spikes 2 to 3 inches.
‘Buena Vista’: bred for sweet fragrance, long flower heads of deep lavender, blooms in June and September.
‘Cedar Blue’: light blue flower in medium height, 18 to 24 inches.
‘Compacta’: light purple, 1½ feet high, compact form.
‘Dwarf Munstead’: compact, 8 to 12 inches, excellent for rock gardens; may not be hardy below zone 7.
‘Graves’: very tall for this species and productive, 2½ to 3 feet, good fresh or dried.
‘Grey Lady’: 18-inch bloom height on compact plants, gray foliage, lavenderblue flowers; use for edging.
‘Hidcote’: 16-inch plant; dark purple-blue flower a favorite for deep color when dried; sweet, strong scent.
‘Irene Doyle’: dark purple flower, blooms both early and late, semidwarf, 9-inch foliage height, 6-inch flower stems.
‘Jean Davis’: 18-inch bloom height, bright white in bud but pink in bloom, blooms turn grayish when dried, early bloomer, very hardy and strong scented, excellent for formal knot garden.
‘Lady’: 15-inch flower height, 12-inch spread, hardy to zone 5; may bloom from seed the first year, three to six months, depending on climate; bred for early bloom from selections of ‘Munstead’; slow to spread.
‘Lodden Blue’: semidwarf plants of 15 inches with 6- to 8-inch flower spikes; RHS award of merit.
‘Lodden Pink’: up to 17½-inch plant, pink flowers.
‘Melissa’: at 18 inches, one of the more compact light pink lavenders
‘Munstead’: 14-inch plant, a favorite for small edges to define herb gardens; early bloomer, lilac-colored flowers, sweet fragrance.
‘Nana Alba’: dwarf 8-inch plant, short spikes, white flowers, and silver foliage.
‘Pastor’s Pride’: dark lavender blooms, good rebloom if first flower spikes are all removed from plant.
‘Rebecca Kay’: 18- to 24-inch plant with excellent second rebloom; developed by Tom Wajda at Willow Pond Farm, PA.
‘Rosea’: 15-inch soft pink flowers.
‘Royal Velvet’: dark purple, velvety flowers, excellent for drying.
‘Sachet’: heady perfume, good essential oil production.
‘Sharon Roberts’: good rebloom if spent flowers are removed, dark lavender flowers, vigorous.
Visitors to Purple Haze Lavender Farm love to pose for photos or relax amidst the large shrubs.
‘Susan Belsinger’: dark purple flower, blooms both early and late, 7-inch plant height.
‘Tucker’s Early Purple’: dark blue highly fragrant flower. 18 to 24 inches; one of the earliest bloomers in June with repeat in late summer/fall.
‘Twickel Purple’: 2 to 3 feet, green leaves sometimes flushed with purple, flowers on long spikes in a fanlike cluster, blooms after ‘Munstead’.
‘Victorian Amethyst’: very fragrant with silver foliage and violet/purple flowers.
L. latifolia is commonly called spike lavender or just spike. Latifolia means “broad-leaved,” and these plants have leaves that are broader and grayer than those of L. angustifolia. L. latifolia also has taller flower spikes than the angustifolias, deep gray leaves, bright blue flowers, and a camphorous odor rather than a sweet smell, so don’t use for cooking. Axial shoots grow from the main flower stem. It propagates easily from seed. Numerous crosses between L. latifolia and L. angustifolia, called L. x intermedia, or lavandin, are prized for their appearance, aroma, and hardiness.
Lavandula x intermedia is more tolerant of high humidity than L. angustifolia. These species usually don’t set seed and must be propagated from cuttings:
‘Abrialli’: popular in France, large flower head, excellent dried.
‘Dutch’: dark purple flower, 16-inch foliage height with 20-inch flower spikes, blooms early to midseason.
‘Fred Boutin’: pale violet flowers, 16-inch foliage height, 20-inch flower spikes, blooms midseason, vigorous.
‘Giant Hidcote’: strong scent and early bloom, lavender-blue flowers, large flower heads on long spikes.
‘Grappenhall’: 40-inch bloom height, early bloomer, dark purple-blue flower, wide gray leaf.
‘Grosso’: 30-inch bloom height, blue-violet flower, violet-gray when dried, very fragrant, also called fat spike.
‘Hidcote Giant’: one of the tallest at 32 inches, good for cut flowers, lavender blue flowers, blooms early.
‘Impress Purple’: tall, dark purple flowers make it excellent for cutting and drying.
‘Provence’: one of the tallest varieties, named for lavender-growing region of France, strong scent.
‘Provence, White Form’ (L. x intermedia ‘Alba’): compact at 12 inches.
‘Seal’: dark purple flower, blooms early to midseason, height 1½ to 2 feet.
‘Super’: large light violet flowers, good for essential oils.
L. x intermedia ‘Super’ is planted in convenient U-pick rows at Port Williams Lavender Farm in Sequim.
These are tender species, with toothed leaves and short flower heads on long stems. L. dentata species are sometimes called French lavenders, but others are carelessly called by the same name, so go Latin to be sure.
L. d. variegata: foliage has creamy variegation.
‘Goodwin Creek Grey’: long bloom period, silvery leaves, deep purple corollas, excellent for topiaries or containers.
L. dentata is delicate and lovely but not useful for drying. At right, it’s used as a commercial planting on a fashionable boulevard in Madrid, Spain. The toothed edges of the leaves inspired the name of this species.
L. stoechas (dwarf form) spreads its butterfly wings in the fabulous gardens of Wave Hill in the Bronx, New York City. Children—and their parents—love it.
L. stoechas ‘Kew Red’ grows in a container in my roof garden, although not exactly red—more like fuchsia.
Lavandula stoechas: a tender species sometimes called ‘Spanish’. Flowers on short stems, fat purple bracts on top, not good for decorative drying.
L. stoechas pedunculata: also called Spanish lavender, a tender lavender that must be wintered indoors in zone 5; height and spread of 24 inches; large, purple bracts on top of flower spikes look like butterfly wings or rabbit ears; not for drying; gray-green foliage.
L. stoechas ‘Kew Red’: a tender variety with light pink bracts, fuchsia flowers and delicate grey-green foliage; cut back for second flush of bloom in fall.
L. stoechas ‘Ivory Crown’: unusual pairing of ivory colored top bracts with dark purple flowers below, grows 11 inches to 2 feet.
In colder areas, grow the tender L. stoechas in a container. It’s worth having if only for one year.
The tender downy lavender ( L.multifida) stays in a pot year-round, in summer residing next to the daylily ‘Stella d’Oro,’ in winter on a sun porch.
Other Species
Lavandula x ‘Ana Louise’ or ‘Ana Luisa’: deep purple flowers with eye-catching silver foliage, needs good air circulation for zones 7–9.
Lavandula lanata: tender species that have a balsam scent, woolly leaves, and deep purple corollas; not good for wet, humid climates.
Lavandula multifida: also called downy lavender; has ferny leaves; plant grows to 2 feet and flower stems to 2 to 3 feet tall; flower spike is in three parts, resembling a pitchfork; not recommended for decorative drying because the flower color changes quickly from blue to brown. The flowers continue to bloom in my garden through October despite five or six nights of temperatures just below freezing.
Downy lavender ( L. multifida), though tender, continues to bloom in October even after two light frosts.
Lavandula x ‘Silver Frost’: hybrid of wooly and angustifolia, silver-violet flowers, 2 to 3 feet high and wide makes it a large very silver shrub, excellent for landscaping.
Lavandula viridis species have tender, very fragrant chartreuse leaves and white flowers; plant grows to 39 inches.
L. x ‘Silver Frost’ is an open, shrubby lavender, nice in the landscape.
