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In Bloom

Lavandula is located in the Garden of Fragrance.

Location Scientific Name Lavandula spp. Family Lamiaceae Plant Type Annuals and perennials, herbaceous plants, subshrubs, and small shrubs Environment Two basic requirements are full sun and good drainage. Lavenders are quite hardy, though, and can withstand fairly extreme weather conditions, and are known to be rather drought tolerant once established. Bloom From Summer to Autumn, with some speices blooming longer periods. Inflorescence is a spike bearing a number of single stalkless flowers. Flower color can range from white and pink to many shades of blue and violet. Uses Lavender is one of the most versatile of all herbs. Grow lavender as a specimen or border plant or formally as a hedging or topiary. Smaller plants may be suitable for growing in pots, larger plants can be grown in containers until about 2 years old. Lavender is often planted and used for it's fragrant, medicinal, and culinary uses. More Info Prune lavender yearly to maintain plant health and full flowering by cutting back at least 1/3 of the plant in mid-autumn. It is thought that lavender use dates back to ancient Greek and Roman times with the Romans introducing it to England. Check out the many great Lavender resources at the Helen Crocker Russell Library of Horticulture including 'Lavender: The Grower's Guide', by Virginia McNaughton A quick 'how-to' on drying Lavender

Lavender is a sweet scented herb that grows widely around the Mediterranean. It is native to tropical Africa and SE India as well. Its cultivation is as ancient as civilization itself. The Romans associated it with bathing (Lavare - to wash) providing the origin of its basic name. Lavender's two - lipped asymmetrical spikes of fragrant violet flowers open in succession from a calyx or cup. Every part of the plant is fragrant, but it is the calyx, not the flowers that provide the best scent and are best for sachets. There are approximately 28 species of lavender and over 200 varieties. The leaves age to a pale grey, and are linear and hairy, strategic assets for survival in hot dry places. The fragrant scent actually makes it unappetizing to insects and foragers.

In the sunny fields of Provence, France, hundreds of acres of Lavender (L. x intermedia) bloom. This hybrid lavender, crossed naturally by nature, was discovered in 1930 by French farmers and found to be far superior in scent to those of L. augustifolia or L. latifolia, its parents. The hybrid is called “Big Lavender” or “Lavandin” for the strength of fragrance in its oil, an essential ingredient for the perfume factories at Grasse, and the 2000 employees they hire.

The Fragrance Garden, newly renovated this spring, is filled with many fragrant plants and herbs including Lavandula, Spanish lavender in particular. This garden is especially designed for those with impaired vision, who can touch and smell the many ornamental and medicinal plants that grow there.

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Magnolia campbellii January	Magnolia denudata February	Magnolia x veitchii March
Iris douglasiana April

Acer palmatum 'Sango kaku' January	Magnolia campbellii 'Darjeeling' February	Bomarea spp. March
Rhododendron occidentale April	Polystichum munitum May	x Chiranthofremontia lenzii June
Salvia leucantha July	Hydrangea seemannii August	Wollemia nobilis September
Cyathea cooperi October	Pinus radiata November	Correa spp. December

Garrya elliptica January	Magnolia x soulangeana February	Senecio glastifolius March
Ribes spp. April	Oxalis oregana May	Calandrinia grandiflora June
Taxus baccata July	Romneya coulteri August	Passiflora parritae September
Malvaviscus arboreus October	Monterey Cypress November	Aloe arborescens December

Aloe plicatilis January	Banksia seminuda February	Zantedeschia aethiopica March
Magnolia laevifolia April	Araucaria heterophylla May	Toxicodendron diversilobum June
Clarkia sp. July	Agapanthus August	Brugmansia September
Cedrus spp. October	Protea repens November	Camellia sinensis December

Thujopsis dolabrata January	Gordonia longicarpa February	Rojasianthe superba March
Echium spp. April	Iris douglasiana May	Digitalis purpurea June
Felicia amelloides July	Ceroxylon quindiuense August	Amaryllis belladonna September
Ginkgo biloba October	Acer morrisonense November	Ilex aquifolium December

Picea sitchensis January	Telanthophora grandifolia February	Aeonium arboreum 'Schwartzkopf' March
Leptospermum April	Salvia gesneraeflora May	Lavandula spp. June
Pelargonium July	Fuchsia paniculata August	Luma apiculata September
Luculia October	Arbutus unedo November	Cycad December

Restionaceae January	Hellebores February	Ceanothus March
Rhododendron April	Psoralea pinnata May	Fremontodendron californicum June
Leucadendron argenteum July	Crocosmia August	Gunnera tinctoria September
Pellaea rotundifolia October	Fuchsia boliviana November	Erica canaliculata December

Magnolia campbelli January	Magnolia denudata February	Camellia March
Geranium maderense April	Acmena smithii May	Eschscholzia californica June
Dendromecon harfordii July	Romneya coulteri August	Eupatorium purpureum September
Epilobium canum sp. October	Grevillea spp. November	Drimys winteri December