Lavandula angustifolia
We know lavender by its purple flowers and unmistakable fragrance. We tuck it into sachets, steep it into tea, add it to bath products, diffuse its essential oil and plant it along garden paths. Lavender has become almost synonymous with relaxation.
And yet, plenty of people will tell you, “I hate lavender.”
But do you hate lavender? Or do you hate the lavender candle that gave you a headache? Maybe it was a strongly camphor-scented plant, an artificial fragrance or simply too much lavender. There is more than one way to experience this familiar plant. This month we are inviting you to meet Lavender again.
By September, lavender farms are wrapping up their summer harvests and our own gardens are beginning the transition toward fall. It is the perfect time to revisit this purple plant Read on for fall gardening tips below. But first, let me reintroduce lavender to you.
Traditional Herbal Energetics (how herbs create harmony in your body) of lavender:
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Temperature: Warming and moving, yet cooling to hot and irritated tissues
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Moisture: Drying
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Tone: Relaxing
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Traditional Actions: Nervine, carminative, and antispasmodic
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Taste: Floral, slightly bitter
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Common Preparations: Tea, tincture, culinary herb, infused oil, hydrosol water and essential oil
Lavender is native to the Mediterranean region, where it evolved in sunny, rocky, relatively dry conditions. Its name has long been associated with the Latin lavare, “to wash,” reflecting lavender's centuries-old relationship with bathing, perfumery and household use.
“But I Don't Like Lavender.”
We hear you. In my early years of massage therapy, I loathed lavender myself.
Lavender can smell soft, sweet and floral. It can also smell sharp and surprisingly camphor-like. Different species and varieties have different aromatic personalities. English lavender, Lavandula angustifolia, generally has the softer aroma associated with herbalism, culinary use and aromatherapy. Lavandins and other lavender species can have a stronger camphor-like scent.
Then there are synthetic lavender fragrances used in candles, detergents and soaps. For some people, these fragrances can be overwhelming and may trigger headaches or nausea.
And sometimes, someone simply used too much. That is where my disdain began. Too much of the wrong lavender in the day spas, every darn day.
Lavender is a beautiful example of an herb where more is not necessarily better.
If you think you hate lavender, try smelling dried Lavandula angustifolia, true lavender essential oil and lavender hydrosol separately. You might discover that you don't hate lavender. You simply haven't met the lavender you like yet.
Lavender in the Kitchen
Yes, lavender is edible.
English lavender is commonly used for culinary purposes. Its flower buds can add a delicate floral note to both foods and beverages.
The important word is delicate.
Use too much and lavender quickly takes over. Start small. One of our favorite ways to introduce someone to culinary lavender is in a beverage, where its floral flavor can sit quietly behind other ingredients.
Lavender pairs beautifully with lemon, honey, vanilla, berries, peach, chocolate, mint, rosemary, black tea and Earl Grey.
One Plant, Three Different Experiences
The dried lavender flower is only one way to experience this plant. The flower, hydrosol and essential oil all come from lavender and give us many ways to experience this plant.
When lavender is distilled, steam moves through a still (think big pot) packed with freshly harvested plant material and the steam releases the plant’s aroma. As that steam cools back into liquid, we collect two products: essential oil and hydrosol.
Lavender Hydrosol
Hydrosol is sometimes called hydrolat, floral water or aromatic water. This floral water is a much gentler aromatic preparation than the concentrated essential oil.
It is the gently scented water collected during distillation, and it contains wonderful skin supporting elements. It is not simply essential oil mixed into water.
Lavender hydrosol has a much softer aroma than the essential oil. It can be used to soothe hot, red, irritated skin, used as a facial or body mist, linen spray or room refresher. For people who find lavender essential oil too intense, the hydrosol can be a completely different experience.
Lavender Essential Oil
Lavender essential oil may be one of the most recognizable essential oils in the world. Essential oil is the highly concentrated aromatic portion collected during distillation. It takes 6 pounds of lavender plants to make 1 oz of essential oil, and when you consider how light and fluffy lavender is, that is a lot of plant material! A few drops can represent a remarkable amount of plant material, which is another reason we don't treat essential oil, hydrosol and dried lavender flowers as interchangeable preparations.
True lavender essential oil, Lavandula angustifolia, has a soft floral and herbaceous aroma. It has a long history of use in bathing, perfumery and aromatherapy and remains one of our favorite essential oils for relaxation and evening routines. Pairing it with other restful essential oils can be a great way to learn to love lavender, instead of diffusing it all by itself.
Lavender in the September Garden
September is a transition month on the High Plains. Our days may still feel like summer, but perennial plants are already preparing for colder weather.
If you grow lavender, resist the urge to give it a dramatic fall haircut. K-State Extension Office recommends pruning lavender immediately after flowering rather than later in the season.
Pruning too late can encourage tender growth just as freezing weather approaches. Avoid cutting deeply into the old woody stems. Instead, let your lavender begin settling in for winter.
Pay attention to drainage, too. Lavender evolved in dry, rocky Mediterranean soil. Cold, soggy roots are not its friend. Avoid piling heavy mulch around the woody crown which can trap water.
Western Kansas winters can also be incredibly dry. Established lavender may still need occasional deep watering during long dry periods when the ground is not frozen.
Then, be patient next spring. Lavender can be slow to wake from winter dormancy. Give it extra time before concluding winter won.
For more fall garden tips, stop by Flourish and visit with Sherrailynn, our resident horticulturist and wild forager. She recommends a phosphorous-based root stimulator now, but not a nitrogen-rich fertilizer.
