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Botanical name: Lavandula angustifolia
German name: Real lavender
Family: Lamiaceae (labiates)
Flowering time: June to August
Blossoms: Violet
Foliage: Evergreen
Growth habit: Ornamental shrub, up to 80 cm high
Origin: Coastal regions of the Mediterranean
Details of the Lavandula angustifolia
Lavandula angustifolia is one of the most famous and popular fragrant plants. Entire regions of Provence owe their characteristic purple landscape to True Lavender – a sight that also creates an unmistakable holiday feeling in your own garden.
This evergreen ornamental shrub exudes its intense, aromatic scent from June to August, reliably attracting bees and butterflies with its numerous lipped flowers. The strong, violet colour in particular makes lavender a striking focal point in the garden. Its narrow, elongated leaves shimmer evergreen in a delicate grey-green and provide structure even outside the flowering season.
Lavandula angustifolia grows bushily and reaches a height of up to 80 cm. It prefers a warm, sunny location with well-drained, rather nutrient-poor soil. This undemanding shrub tolerates drought significantly better than waterlogging – a pot therefore requires slightly more water than planting in the open ground. If the lavender is cut back in late summer after flowering, it will survive the winter without problems and delight with lush floral splendour again in the following year.
Using True Lavender in Design
Whether planted as a single specimen or in larger groups, Lavandula angustifolia can be used in an extremely versatile way. It is particularly impressive as a companion plant in rose beds, where its intense fragrance also contributes to natural pest control and creates atmospheric colour compositions together with the rose blossoms.
True lavender lends a Mediterranean character to gardens, but it also fits equally well into naturalistic or classic garden designs, where it brings lightness and a touch of holiday feeling. Even in a planter, this undemanding ornamental shrub looks good and adds attractive accents to a patio or balcony.
Overall, Lavandula angustifolia is a convincing choice as an easy-to-care-for, fragrant, and extremely insect-friendly plant that should be a staple in almost any garden during the summer months.
