Cultivated and prized worldwide, lavender
is a slow-growing perennial that tops out around 3 feet, characterized
by short, slightly crooked stems. It’s narrow bluish-greenish leaves are
offset by brightly colored barrel-shaped flowers. Valued as a
pollinator, as well as for its hardiness and drought resistance,
lavender is commonly found in flowers beds, gardens, highway medians and
public parks. The distinctive sweet, floral scent of its flowers is at the heart of lavender’s many uses,
including its value as an essential oil, as well as its usefulness in
home décor, personal-care products, perfumes and sachets. While you can
buy fresh or dried lavender, or find it infused in countless products,
you might consider growing your own. Growing lavender is relatively easy
to do and you’ll be glad you did. Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) — also known as common, English or
true lavender — is a flowering perennial plant belonging to the mint
family. Since its advent in the Mediterranean region more than 2,500
years ago, lavender has enjoyed a rich history1,2,3 and remained continuously popular. Over the years, lavender, which is now known to have 39 species, has
been consistently valued for medicinal and personal use. Prized for its
flowers, in either fresh or dried form, lavender is also valued as an
essential oil. The name lavender hails from the Latin “lavare” — to wash
— most likely due to its use for bathing and wound cleansing. Earlier civilizations, such as the Egyptians, used lavender for
mummification and to make perfumes. The Greeks and Romans added lavender
to their bathwater to help purify and wash their skin. Today, lavender
is cultivated all over the world for landscaping and personal care
products, as well as the large-scale production of lavender essential
oil.The History of Lavender