How to Grow Lavender
Lavandula angustifolia
Needs excellent drainage — hates wet roots. Cut back by one-third each spring. Silver-gray foliage is ornamental even before it blooms.
Heritage & Origins
Native Region
The Mediterranean and North Africa
Historical Context
“Named from the Latin 'lavare' (to wash). Romans used lavender to scent their public baths and laundries. In the Middle Ages, lavender was strewn on the floors of castles to mask odors and ward off the 'mal-aria' (bad air) of disease.”
Ancestral Meaning
A symbol of purity, silence, and devotion. Lavender represents the calm after the storm and the ability to find sanctuary in the gentlest aspects of the natural world.
Did you know? There are over 45 species and hundreds of varieties of lavender! Bees find it almost irresistible, making it one of the best plants for increasing your garden's overall pollination.
Return on Investment
One lavender plant produces roughly 0.5 lbs. Worth $6.50 vs a $6.99 seed cost.
Practical Maintenance
- Light: Full Sun (6+ hrs/day)
- Water: Low — drought tolerant once established
- Spacing: 2 sq ft per plant.
Champion Varieties
Lineages for your homestead goals
Munstead
A compact English variety that blooms early with deep lavender-blue flowers; exceptionally sweet aroma.
Hidcote
Famous for its intense, dark purple flower spikes and silvery-gray foliage; very hardy and slow-growing.
Phenomenal
A rugged hybrid that tolerates heat, humidity, and cold equally well; large, showy flower spikes.
Grosso
The primary variety grown in France for perfume and oil; producing massive, long-stemmed violet flowers.
