Difference between revisions of "Lavender"

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:''For the colour shade, see [[Lavender (color)]]''
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__NOTOC__{{Plantbox
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{{Taxobox
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| name = ''Lavendula''
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| color = lightgreen
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| common_names = Lavender
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| name = Lavender
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| growth_habit = ?  <!--- tree, shrub, herbaceous, vine, etc -->
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| high = ?  <!--- 1m (3 ft) -->
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| wide =    <!--- 65cm (25 inches) -->
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| origin = ?  <!--- Mexico, S America, S Europe, garden, etc -->
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| poisonous =    <!--- indicate parts of plants which are known/thought to be poisonous -->
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| lifespan =    <!--- perennial, annual, etc -->
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| exposure = ?  <!--- full sun, part-sun, semi-shade, shade, indoors, bright filtered (you may list more than 1) -->
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| water = ?  <!--- frequent, regular, moderate, drought tolerant, let dry then soak -->
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| features =    <!--- flowers, fragrance, fruit, naturalizes, invasive -->
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| hardiness =    <!--- frost sensitive, hardy, 5°C (40°F), etc -->
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| bloom =    <!--- seasons which the plant blooms, if it is grown for its flowers -->
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| usda_zones = ?  <!--- eg. 8-11 -->
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| sunset_zones =     <!--- eg. 8, 9, 12-24, not available -->
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| color = IndianRed
 
| image = Single lavendar flower02.jpg
 
| image = Single lavendar flower02.jpg
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| image_width = 250px
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| image_width = 240px    <!--- leave as 240px if horizontal orientation photo, or change to 180px if vertical -->
 
| image_caption = Lavender flowers
 
| image_caption = Lavender flowers
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| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
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| regnum = Plantae
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| divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
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| divisio = Magnoliophyta
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| classis = [[Magnoliopsida]]
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| classis = Magnoliopsida
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| ordo = [[Lamiales]]
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| ordo = Lamiales
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| familia = [[Lamiaceae]]
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| familia = Lamiaceae
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| genus = '''''Lavandula'''''
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| genus = Lavandula
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| genus_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]]
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}}
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| subdivision_ranks = Species
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{{Inc|
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| subdivision =  
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[[Image:Lavender02.jpg|left|thumb|Lavender flower]]
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About 25-30, including:<br/>
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[[image:lavender-flowers.jpg|left|thumb|thumb|Lavender flowers]]
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[[Image:Topped lavender.jpg|left|thumb|''Lavandula stoechas'']]
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[[image:Lavender_FarmTomita.jpg|left|thumb|A lavender farm]]
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Lavandula (Latin, lavo, to wash; referring to the use of lavender in the bath). Labiatae. This group includes the lavender (L. vera), an ancient garden favorite because of its pleasant odor.
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Perennial herbs, subshrubs or shrubs: leaves commonly crowded at the base, pinnatifid or dissected: whorls 2-10-fld., crowded into long-peduncled cylindrical spikes, which are unbranched or branched from the base; flowers blue, violet or lilac; calyx tubular, 13-15-striated, 5-toothed; corolla-lobes nearly equal, or the posterior lip 2-cut, the anterior 3-cut; stamens 4, didynamous, declined, included in the tube; style shortly 2-cut at the apex.—Species upward of 20, Canary Isls. to India. In the N., winter protection should be provided for lavender. The plants of this genus grow naturally in dry and hilly wastes, except L. multifida which is found growing in peat.
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The generic name is derived from the ancient use of its flowers and leaves in bath perfumery. The flowers long retain their strong fragrant odor after drying, and upon distillation yield a lemon-yellow very fluid oil of aromatic, bitterish, burning taste.
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Lavender is best propagated by cuttings of one season's growth taken with a heel of older wood, in late autumn or early spring. When set 3 to 4 inches asunder in rather moist soil and shaded, they strike more readily and produce more symmetrical plants than older wood. Seed does not propagate desired varieties, and division is not advised, since plants so obtained are more susceptible to disease than those made from young-wood cuttings. After danger of frost, the one-year-old plants are set 4 feet asunder in rows 6 feet apart, running north and south. Closer planting and the hedge-method yield a smaller quantity of bloom. Dry, light, calcareous, even stony soils upon sites where sun and air are unimpeded by trees, favor this plant. Upon such fewer are injured by frost, and the oil is of superior quality. In moist soil so much water enters the plant as to enfeeble it, and upon rich lands yield and quality both suffer. Light fertilizing with stable-manure or ashes turned under in autumn, and spring harrowing, are advised. During the first year in the field the plants should be clipped to prevent flowering and to encourage stockiness. Vigorous plants so treated may grow to a height and a diameter of 5 feet, and when two to four years old produce secondary bloom-spikes after the general harvest, which usually occurs in early August. Plantations should be destroyed when four to six years old and the land rested with other crops before setting to lavender again. Cutting in clear weather, in early blossom, before the dew is off and at once distilling give best results; but no delay should occur. Cutting in wet weather, in the heat of the day, holding blossoms long before distilling and exposing them to the sun after cutting result in serious losses. One pound of flowers yields from one-half to one drachm of oil, and an acre from two to twenty-five pounds.
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"Oil of spike," obtained from a broad-leaved, much whiter and smaller species (L. Spica), is less fragrant than true lavender oil, being analogous to oil of turpentine, with which it is often adulterated. It suggests the odor of rancid coconut oil. Officinally, it is credited with carminative and stimulant properties, and has been found useful in nervous languor and headache. It is used by artists in the manufacture of varnishes, by porcelain painters, and to a small extent in perfumery, mainly as an adulterant. From 20,000 to 25,000 kilogrammes are annually produced at Grasse. See also "Culinary Herbs" by M. G. Kains, 1912.
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{{SCH}}
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}}
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==Cultivation==
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{{edit-cult}}<!--- Type cultivation info below this line, then delete this entire line -->
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===Propagation===
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{{edit-prop}}<!--- Type propagation info below this line, then delete this entire line -->
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===Pests and diseases===
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{{edit-pests}}<!--- Type pest/disease info below this line, then delete this entire line -->
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==Species==
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About 25-30, including{{wp}}:<br/>
 
''[[Lavandula abrotanoides]]''<br/>
 
''[[Lavandula abrotanoides]]''<br/>
 
''[[Lavandula angustifolia]]''<br/>
 
''[[Lavandula angustifolia]]''<br/>
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''[[Lavandula viridis]]''<br/>
 
''[[Lavandula viridis]]''<br/>
 
''[[Lavandula x intermedia]]''
 
''[[Lavandula x intermedia]]''
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}}
 
  
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The '''Lavenders''' ''Lavandula'' are a [[genus]] of about 25-30 species of [[flowering plant]]s in the mint family, [[Lamiaceae]], native from the [[Mediterranean]] region south to tropical [[Africa]] and to the southeast regions of [[India]]. The genus includes [[annual plant|annuals]], [[herbaceous]] plants, [[subshrub]]s, and small [[shrub]]s. The native range extends across the [[Canary Islands]], North and East [[Africa]], south [[Europe]] and the Mediterranean, [[Arabia]], and [[India]]. Because the cultivated forms are planted in gardens world-wide, they are occasionally found growing wild, as garden escapees, well beyond their natural range.
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==Gallery==
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{{photo-sources}}<!-- remove this line if there are already 3 or more photos in the gallery  -->
  
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{|align=left
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<gallery>
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|[[Image:Lavender02.jpg|left|thumb|Lavender flower]]
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Image:Upload.png| photo 1
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|-
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Image:Upload.png| photo 2
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|[[image:lavender-flowers.jpg|left|thumb|thumb|Lavender flowers]]
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image:LavendarFlower.jpg|Flower of cultivated lavender; ''Lavandula stoechas'' or Spanish lavender
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|-
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image:Lavandula_intermedia.jpg|Hardy and disease resistant; ''Lavandula Intermedia'' or Silver Edge lavender
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|[[Image:Topped lavender.jpg|left|thumb|''Lavandula stoechas'']]
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</gallery>
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|-
 
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|[[image:Lavender_FarmTomita.jpg|left|thumb|A lavender farm in [[Hokkaidō]]]]
 
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|}
 
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==Uses==
 
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The most common species in cultivation is the Common Lavender ''[[Lavandula angustifolia]]'' (formerly ''L. officinalis''). A wide range of [[cultivar]]s can be found. Other commonly grown ornamental species are ''[[Lavandula stoechas|L. stoechas]]'', ''L. dentata'', and ''L. multifida''.
 
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Lavenders are widely grown in gardens. Flower spikes are used for dried flower arrangements. The fragrant, pale purple flowers and flower buds are used in [[potpourri]]s. Dried and sealed in pouches, they are placed among stored items of clothing to give a fresh fragrance and as a deterrent to [[moth]]s. The plant is also grown commercially for extraction of [[lavender oil]] from the flowers. This oil is used as an [[antiseptic]] and for [[aromatherapy]].
 
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Lavender flowers yield abundant [[nectar (plant)|nectar]] which yields a high quality [[honey]] for [[beekeeper]]s. Lavender [[monofloral honey]] is produced primarily in the nations around the [[Mediterranean]], and marketed worldwide as a premium product. Lavender flowers can be candied and are used as cake decoration. Lavender is also used as a herb, either alone or as an ingredient of ''[[herbes de Provence]]''. Lavender is also used to flavour sugar, the product being called "lavender sugar", and the flowers are sometimes sold in a blend with black tea, as "lavender tea".
 
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French chefs in and around [[Provence]], France have been incorporating this herb into their cuisine for many centuries.  Lavender lends a floral, slightly sweet and elegant flavour to most dishes.  For most cooking applications it is the dried buds (also referred to as flowers) of lavender that are utilised, though some chefs experiment with the leaves as well. It is the buds however that contain the [[essential oil]] of lavender, which is where both the scent and flavour of lavender are best derived.
 
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===Medicinal use===
 
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[[image:LavendarFlower.jpg|thumb|right|Flower of cultivated lavender; ''Lavandula stoechas'' or Spanish lavender]]
 
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Lavender has been used extensively in [[herbalism]].
 
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English lavender, [[Lavandula angustifolia]], yields a highly effective essential oil with very sweet overtones, and can be used in balms, salves, perfumes, cosmetics, and topical applications. French lavender, Lavandula x intermedia, yields a similar essential oil, with higher contents of [[turpin]], which adds a harsher overtone to the fragrance. Spanish lavender, [[Lavandula stoechas]] is not used medicinally, but mainly for landscaping purposes.
 
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Essential oil of lavender has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. It was used in hospitals during WWI to disinfect floors, walls and other surfaces.
 
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An infusion of lavender is claimed to soothe and heal insect bites. Bunches of lavender are also said to ward off insects. If applied to the temples, lavender oil is said to soothe headaches. Lavender is frequently used as an aid to sleep and relaxation: Seeds and flowers of the plant are added to pillows, and an [[infusion]] of three flowerheads added to a cup of boiling water are recommended as a soothing and relaxing bedtime drink. [[Lavender oil]] (or extract of Lavender) is claimed to heal [[Acne vulgaris|acne]] when used diluted 1:10 with water, [[rosewater]], or [[witch hazel (astringent)|witch hazel]]; it is also used in the treatment of skin burns and inflammatory conditions (it is a traditional treatment for these in [[Iran]]).
 
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'''Health precautions:''' There is scientific evidence to support the effectiveness of some of these remedies, especially the anti-inflammatory effects, but they should be used with caution since lavender oil can also be a powerful [[allergen]]. Ingesting lavender should be avoided during pregnancy and breastfeeding.<ref>[http://www.umm.edu/altmed/ConsHerbs/Lavenderch.html Lavender: Precautions], Center for Integrative Medicine</ref>.
 
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=== Gynaecomastia ===
 
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Two essential oils, [[lavender]] and [[tea tree oil]], have been implicated in causing [[gynaecomastia]], an abnormal breast tissue growth in prepubescent boys. An article in the New England Journal of Medicine claimed that the use of shampoo and similar products, containing lavender and tea tree oils, in 3 boys resulted in this condition. The authors were contacted, but have refused to identify the products used or discuss their work further.  General knowledge of the formulas of such products, however, suggests that the levels of these materials could not have exceeded a few tenths of one percent--certainly not enough to produce ''any'' kind of adverse effects.  However, a child hormone specialist at the [[University of Cambridge]] has claimed "... these oils can mimic [[oestrogen]]s" and "people should be a little bit careful about using these products". <ref>{{cite news
 
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| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6318043.stm
 
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| publisher=BBC News
 
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| date=February 1, 2007
 
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| accessdate=2007-09-09
 
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| title=Oils make male breasts develop}}</ref><ref>[http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/abstract/356/5/479 N. Engl. J. Med. 356(5):479-85 (2007)] ''Prepubertal gynecomastia linked to lavender and tea tree oils.'' PMID 17267908</ref><ref>{{cite web
 
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|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/03/AR2006070300769.html
 
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|title=Bad Shampoo for Boys?
 
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|date=2004-07-04
 
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|accessdate=2007-03-20
 
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}}</ref>
 
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==History==
 
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[[image:Lavandula_intermedia.jpg|thumb|right|Hardy and disease resistant; ''Lavandula Intermedia'' or Silver Edge lavender]]
 
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The [[Ancient Greece|ancient Greeks]] called the lavender herb ''nardus'', after the Syrian city of Naarda. It was also commonly called ''nard''.
 
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During [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] times, flowers were sold for 100 ''[[denarii]]'' per [[Ancient Roman units of measurement#Weight|pound]], which was about the same as a month's wages for a farm labourer, or fifty haircuts from the local barber. Lavender was commonly used in [[Roman bath]]s to scent the water, and it was thought to restore the skin. When the [[Roman Empire]] conquered southern Britain, the Romans introduced lavender.
 
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During the height of the [[Black Death|Plague]], glove makers at [[Grasse]] would scent their leathers with [[lavender oil]], and this was claimed to ward off the Plague. This story could have some validity as the Plague was transmitted by [[flea]]s, which lavender is known to repel.
 
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[[Ruud Van Nistelrooy]], a soccer player for [[Real Madrid]], advocates the use of Lavender, and has been said to coat his boots in it prior to sleep.
 
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
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{{reflist}}
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*[[Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture]], by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963
 +
<!--- xxxxx  *Flora: The Gardener's Bible, by Sean Hogan. Global Book Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0881925381  -->
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<!--- xxxxx  *American Horticultural Society: A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, by Christopher Brickell, Judith D. Zuk. 1996. ISBN 0789419432  -->
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<!--- xxxxx  *Sunset National Garden Book. Sunset Books, Inc., 1997. ISBN 0376038608  -->
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
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'''Medicinal use'''
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*{{wplink}}
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*[http://www.umm.edu/altmed/ConsHerbs/Lavenderch.html Medicinal use: University of Maryland Medical Center]
 
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*[http://botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/l/lavend13.html Medicinal use, Modern and Historical: botanical.com]
 
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*[http://www.purplehazelavender.com/varieties.html Details on all varieties of lavender plants.]
 
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'''Cultivars'''
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{{stub}}
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*[http://rbg-web2.rbge.org.uk/cgi-bin/nph-readbtree.pl/feout?FAMILY_XREF=&GENUS_XREF=Lavandula&SPECIES_XREF=&TAXON_NAME_XREF=&RANK=species Flora Europaea: ''Lavandula'']
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[[Category:Categorize]]
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*[http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=117756 Flora of China: ''Lavandula'']
 
  
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[[Category:Lamiaceae]]
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<!--  in order to add all the proper categories, go to http://www.plants.am/wiki/Plant_Categories and copy/paste the contents of the page here, and then follow the easy instructions!    -->
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[[Category:Herbs]]
 

Revision as of 15:03, 13 July 2009


Lavender flowers


Plant Characteristics
Origin: ✈ ?
Cultivation
Exposure: ☼ ?"?" is not in the list (sun, part-sun, shade, unknown) of allowed values for the "Exposure" property.
Water: ◍ ?"?" is not in the list (wet, moist, moderate, dry, less when dormant) of allowed values for the "Water" property.
Scientific Names

Lamiaceae >

Lavandula >



Read about Lavender in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture 
Lavender flower
Lavender flowers
Lavandula stoechas
A lavender farm

Lavandula (Latin, lavo, to wash; referring to the use of lavender in the bath). Labiatae. This group includes the lavender (L. vera), an ancient garden favorite because of its pleasant odor.

Perennial herbs, subshrubs or shrubs: leaves commonly crowded at the base, pinnatifid or dissected: whorls 2-10-fld., crowded into long-peduncled cylindrical spikes, which are unbranched or branched from the base; flowers blue, violet or lilac; calyx tubular, 13-15-striated, 5-toothed; corolla-lobes nearly equal, or the posterior lip 2-cut, the anterior 3-cut; stamens 4, didynamous, declined, included in the tube; style shortly 2-cut at the apex.—Species upward of 20, Canary Isls. to India. In the N., winter protection should be provided for lavender. The plants of this genus grow naturally in dry and hilly wastes, except L. multifida which is found growing in peat.

The generic name is derived from the ancient use of its flowers and leaves in bath perfumery. The flowers long retain their strong fragrant odor after drying, and upon distillation yield a lemon-yellow very fluid oil of aromatic, bitterish, burning taste.

Lavender is best propagated by cuttings of one season's growth taken with a heel of older wood, in late autumn or early spring. When set 3 to 4 inches asunder in rather moist soil and shaded, they strike more readily and produce more symmetrical plants than older wood. Seed does not propagate desired varieties, and division is not advised, since plants so obtained are more susceptible to disease than those made from young-wood cuttings. After danger of frost, the one-year-old plants are set 4 feet asunder in rows 6 feet apart, running north and south. Closer planting and the hedge-method yield a smaller quantity of bloom. Dry, light, calcareous, even stony soils upon sites where sun and air are unimpeded by trees, favor this plant. Upon such fewer are injured by frost, and the oil is of superior quality. In moist soil so much water enters the plant as to enfeeble it, and upon rich lands yield and quality both suffer. Light fertilizing with stable-manure or ashes turned under in autumn, and spring harrowing, are advised. During the first year in the field the plants should be clipped to prevent flowering and to encourage stockiness. Vigorous plants so treated may grow to a height and a diameter of 5 feet, and when two to four years old produce secondary bloom-spikes after the general harvest, which usually occurs in early August. Plantations should be destroyed when four to six years old and the land rested with other crops before setting to lavender again. Cutting in clear weather, in early blossom, before the dew is off and at once distilling give best results; but no delay should occur. Cutting in wet weather, in the heat of the day, holding blossoms long before distilling and exposing them to the sun after cutting result in serious losses. One pound of flowers yields from one-half to one drachm of oil, and an acre from two to twenty-five pounds.

"Oil of spike," obtained from a broad-leaved, much whiter and smaller species (L. Spica), is less fragrant than true lavender oil, being analogous to oil of turpentine, with which it is often adulterated. It suggests the odor of rancid coconut oil. Officinally, it is credited with carminative and stimulant properties, and has been found useful in nervous languor and headache. It is used by artists in the manufacture of varnishes, by porcelain painters, and to a small extent in perfumery, mainly as an adulterant. From 20,000 to 25,000 kilogrammes are annually produced at Grasse. See also "Culinary Herbs" by M. G. Kains, 1912. CH


The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.


Cultivation

Do you have cultivation info on this plant? Edit this section!

Propagation

Do you have propagation info on this plant? Edit this section!

Pests and diseases

Do you have pest and disease info on this plant? Edit this section!

Species

About 25-30, includingwp:
Lavandula abrotanoides
Lavandula angustifolia
Lavandula canariensis
Lavandula dentata
Lavandula lanata
Lavandula latifolia
Lavandula multifida
Lavandula pinnata
Lavandula stoechas
Lavandula viridis
Lavandula x intermedia

Gallery

If you have a photo of this plant, please upload it! Plus, there may be other photos available for you to add.

  • photo 1

  • photo 2

  • Flower of cultivated lavender; Lavandula stoechas or Spanish lavender

  • Hardy and disease resistant; Lavandula Intermedia or Silver Edge lavender

References

External links


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