What is the difference between English lavender and Spanish lavender?

French and English are just two of many varieties of this popular plant. You'll also see Spanish lavender, which like French lavender has a softer scent and is used more for landscaping than for producing the scented oil. French and English lavender varieties are both great plants, but they are not the same.

Also to know is, is Spanish lavender fragrant?

Native to the Mediterranean region and North Africa, Spanish Lavender seems to be a more suitable lavender choice for those who garden in hot humid climates. The antiseptic, piney fragrance of Spanish Lavender makes it an exceptionally fragrant landscape plant but not the first choice for use in cooking.

Subsequently, question is, which type of lavender is the most fragrant? The most fragrant Lavender plants are the Lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia). Several cultivars of English Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) are also prized for their delightful scent. Lavandula x intermedia, also called Lavandin, is a hybrid cross between Lavandula angustifolia and Lavandula latifolia.

In this way, can you eat Spanish lavender?

Varieties of lavender English Lavender (includes Hidcote and Munstead): This popular variety has the sweetest fragrance and is great for cooking. Spanish lavender, which is often associated with French lavender, is also strongly flavored and not great for cooking.

How do I identify English lavender?

Simply use your nose and eyes to identify lavender plants. Identify English lavender (L. angustifolia) by its sweeter fragrance with less of a camphor odor. You can also identify English lavender by its bloom period, which begins in early summer.

Should I cut back Spanish lavender?

Lavandula stoechas - also called Spanish Lavender or Butterfly Lavender: When pruning your Lavender, never cut into the woody part of your Lavender. Always make sure to leave the leafless wood intact, since cutting it could injure the plant. A good rule is to prune two leaf sets above the woody part.

Does Spanish lavender come back every year?

Lavender is a perennial herb that continues to grow each year. Lavender is a woody perennial, so it does continue to grow from year to year, but the stems remain upright through the winter in preparation for new spring growth. With proper care and pruning, lavender will survive in the garden for years to come.

How often do you water Spanish lavender?

Remember lavender is a drought tolerant plant, but will need regular watering for the first 3 months until it becomes acclimated to its new home. Do not water everyday. Check it every couple of days to see what it may need. Too much water will kill your plant.

Which lavender is the hardiest?

English Lavender Varieties. These tend to be the hardiest. 'Munstead' is easily the most cold hardy, easiest to find and has with paler purple flowers.

How tall does Spanish lavender grow?

Mature plants are bushy and 1 1/2 to 3 feet tall, so space them about 18 to 24 inches apart to give plants room to fill out without crowding.

How long does dried lavender stay fragrant?

Lavender sachets can hold fragrance over 20 years. You can dab lavender oil on sachets but the fragrance will evaporate so it doesn't last very long–just a few days.

What grows well with Spanish lavender?

These companions for lavender perform well in full sun and dry, less-than-rich soil. Gazania, another good choice, is a beautiful flowering plant from South Africa that fares especially well in poor, dry soils.

Lavender Plant Companions

Echinacea.
Aster.
Sedum.
Wild indigo.
Baby's breath.
Drought tolerant roses.

Does Spanish lavender repel mosquitoes?

Lavender – Lavandula angustifolia – Even though lavender is a smell often enjoyed by humans, lavender repels mosquitoes because mosquitoes dislike the scent lavender gives off. It can be planted in gardens or made into oil and applied to the skin or mixed with other oils to keep mosquitoes away. More…

Do you deadhead Spanish lavender?

Lavender requires a soil pH of 6.5 to 8. Position the lavender plants with plenty of space between them to encourage drying air circulation. Remove, or deadhead, spent blooms regularly for the entire blooming season. This prolongs the overall blooming duration and promotes bushier growth.

Does Spanish lavender bloom all summer?

Spanish lavender (Lavandula stoechas), sometimes known as French lavender, is the least hardy and most heat-tolerant of the lavender species. It thrives in USDA zones 8 through 9. In areas with mild summers and winters, it may bloom up to three times – in early May, June and late summer or early fall.

Is any lavender poisonous?

Lavender oil is toxic if taken orally. Some people may develop an allergic reaction to lavender. Nausea, vomiting, headache, and chills have also been reported in some people after inhaling or absorbing lavender through the skin. Lavender applied to skin may cause irritation in some people.

What types of lavender are edible?

The best tasting edible lavenders are the ones with the sweetest perfume. English lavender is extremely popular as a culinary lavender. This is normally sold as Lavandula angustifolia, but it's sometimes sold as Lavandula officinalis or Lavandula vera.

What does lavender pair well with?

Flavor Pairings With Lavender Lavender's sweet, fragrant flavor complements a range of foods, both sweet and savory. Ingredients lavender goes well with include strawberries, blueberries, pears, lemon, orange, honey, sage, rosemary, oregano, thyme, black pepper, and chocolate.

Can u eat lavender?

Culinary Lavender is an incredibly versatile herb for cooking. As a member of the same family as many of our most popular herbs, it is not surprising that lavender is edible and that it's use in food preparation is also returning. Flowers and leaves can be used fresh, and both buds and stems can be used dried.

Can you harvest lavender after it has bloomed?

To enjoy dried stem bunches or dried buds for cooking, you want to cut the lavender when just a few of the buds on the stem have bloomed. The best time of day to harvest lavender is in the morning, after the dew has dried but before the heat of the sun draws out too much of the fragrant essential oils.

What does Spanish lavender smell like?

Spanish lavender smells slightly sharp, sort of like turpentine, but the oil is used in air fresheners and insecticides.

What is the prettiest lavender?

Lavandula angustifolia 'Hidcote' 'Hidcote' is one of the best known of all lavender varieties, for good reason. It's a compact variety of English lavender with mid-purple flowers and is ideal for planting in borders or as dwarf hedging.

What is the easiest lavender to grow?

Wooly lavender (Lavandula lanata), which grows in USDA zones 8 through 11, works well as a shrub, growing up to 3 feet tall, and produces a spectacular fragrance. A good choice for culinary use is "Munstead" lavender (Lavandula angustifolia "Munstead"), which grows in USDA zones 5 through 10.

What is the best lavender to grow for oil?

Main Lavender Types

Lavandula angustifolia, also called True Lavender or Common Lavender has long been cultivated for its high quality lavender oil.
Lavandula x intermedia, also called Lavandin, is a hybrid cross between Lavandula angustifolia and Lavandula latifolia.