Real lavender »A profile

Data and facts about real lavender at a glance

• Botanical name: Lavandula angustifolia
• Popular names: little Speik
• Family: Mint
• Origin: dry and rocky slopes on the Mediterranean coasts, v. a. Tuscany, Greece, Dalmatia
• Distribution: worldwide in culture (except for climatically unfavorable regions such as Antarctica / Arctic or the far north)
• Location: sunny to full sun; dry and poor soils
• Growth habit: shrub
• Perennial: yes
• Height: up to 100 centimeters
• Flowers: spiked
• Colors: purple, blue
• Flowering period: May-September
• Fruit: ovary / covering plant
• Leaves: lanceolate, up to 50 millimeters long, gray-green, hairy
• Propagation: seeds, cuttings
• sowing: February-March (preculture)
• Winter hardiness: no
• Toxicity: no
• Usage: ornamental plant, kitchen spice, medicinal plant, fragrant plant
• Use as a medicinal plant: depression, sleep disorders, stress, flatulence, inflammation of the gums and mouth
• Use as a condiment: fresh and dried for meat and fish dishes, desserts, sauces
• Harvest time: June-September (flowers)

Preferred sunny and dry location

As a Mediterranean plant, the plant needs a sunny to full sun, preferably dry and poor location. Lavender tolerates both heat and drought and needs a lot of warmth. The soil should be sandy and very permeable as well as neutral to alkaline, so that the plants can get through the winter well - with us the real lavender is not hardy and needs good winter protection.

Cultivate lavender in the garden / in a pot

The real lavender can be cultivated very well in gardens as well as in planters if the site conditions are appropriate. However, the plant is not suitable for indoor plants and should be on the balcony or terrace at least during the summer. An annual pruning in early spring keeps the plants compact and willing to flower, as the lavender becomes bald over time. Do not cut into the old wood, because the plants only sprout again from young shoots.