Types Of Lavender

If people want to grow lavender like the Bonny Doon Lavender Farm in Santa Cruz, Calif., does, owner Gary Meehan says, “I’d send them to their local garden center where the plants would be available for local growing conditions. You don’t have to shop mail-order for them, just buy them in four-inch pots at the garden center.”

Lavender planted now would produce a decent harvest of flower stems next summer.

A native of the Mediterranean, lavender is grown for its flowers. The leaves are grayish to graygreen in color. It can be used as a hedge, border or accent plant. Here is what “Sunset Western Garden Book” says about lavender:

Lavendula augustifolia (English lavender). This is the most widely grown lavender and produces the classic-looking lavender in July and August. It grows 3-4 feet high with gray foliage and fragrant lavender clusters on long stems. Sunset says many hybrids have been developed and the names are hard to sort out in the nursery. If you don’t know what else to buy, stick with English lavender.

Lavendula dentata (French lavender). This one produces almost year-round in our climate, with short spikelike flower clusters. Overall, the plant is more compact than others.

Lavendula intermedia. This lavender might also be sold as L. augustifolia. “Grosso” has thick spikes of deep purple flowers, and it is one of the varieties commonly grown in southern France. “Provence” is the variety grown in France for perfume.

Lavendula latifolia (Spike lavender). Looks like English lavender but with broader leaves and flower stalks.

Lavendula stocchas (Spanish lavender). A stocky plant with narrow gray leaves, the flowers are dark purple on dense short spikes. It blooms in early summer.