French lavender is large and will grow from about 2 to 3 feet (61-91 cm.) tall and wide, while English lavender stays much smaller and more compact, although it may grow up to 2 feet (61 cm.).
How can you tell French lavender from English lavender?
French Lavender is larger than English Lavender…
Although English Lavender has a long lifespan, French Lavender grows larger in size. At 30 inches tall and 40 inches wide, French Lavender rises a few inches above English Lavender, which reaches about 20 inches tall and 24 inches wide.
How do I identify my lavender?
Look for purple flowers from the beginning to the end of summer. Lavender’s flowers rise into the air like a spike, consisting of several light to deep purple petals. Certain varieties may include flowers that open up, while others resemble a pine cone.
Whats the difference between English and French lavender?
The key difference between French and English lavenders is that English lavenders are more cold hardy, produce a stronger fragrance and live longer however French lavenders can produce flowers for much longer.
How do you tell the difference between culinary lavender and regular lavender?
While crafting lavender might also be sifted, culinary lavender is sifted multiple times so that all that remains is the lavender buds (and not leaves, stems or dried calyxes, which enclose the petals and form a protective layer around the lavender flower).
Does French lavender come back every year?
French lavenders are perennial plants that live for several years. The reason some people mistake French lavenders for annuals is that they grow them in a climate that is too cold for French lavender to survive winter and then have to replace the plant every year.
Why does my lavender not smell?
The reason lavender doesn’t smell is usually because either it is not receiving enough sunlight or it is planted soil that is too fertile. Lavenders need full sun and low to medium fertility soil in order to produce the oil which is responsible for their characteristic aroma.
What are the four types of lavender?
English Lavender, Portuguese Lavender, French Lavender, Spanish Lavender, Lavandin.
How many types of English lavender are there?
There are over 450 Lavender varieties and finding the most fragrant Lavender plant is not always an easy task. Not all Lavenders are highly scented. Some varieties are wonderful as accent plants but have little fragrance. Others might not look as spectacular but exude a rich perfume.
Can you eat English lavender?
The great thing about English Lavender is every variety can be used for cooking. Some varieties are more sought after than others, but all of the around 100 varieties in the Lavandula Angustifolia species are considered edible lavenders.
Which is the strongest smelling lavender?
lavandin plants
Commonly grown in the lavender fields of France, ‘Grosso’ lavandin plants are the most fragrant of all lavenders. Its strongly scented purple flowers are often used in making perfumes and sachets.
Will English lavender survive winter?
As mentioned above, English lavender is winter-hardy to Zone 5 and may only need a bit of help in the form of a thin layer of straw. Otherwise, lavender shouldn’t need any extra care outdoors. Spanish and French lavenders, on the other hand, are only hardy to Zone 8, and will need to be brought indoors in colder areas.
Which lavender plant has the strongest scent?
Lavandin
The most fragrant Lavender plants are the Lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia). Several cultivars of English Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) are also prized for their delightful scent. Lavandula x intermedia, also called Lavandin, is a hybrid cross between Lavandula angustifolia and Lavandula latifolia.
Is all lavender safe to eat?
I repeat: Not all lavender should be used in cooking. Though most lavender is technically safe to eat, culinary lavender is typically cultivated from Lavandula angustifolia plants (commonly known as English or “true” lavender) and has a lot less oil than the aromatic lavender used in perfumes or soaps.
Can I use lavender from my garden to cook?
Lavender is a unique herb in that every part of the plant—bud, stem, and leaf—can be used in cooking. While the lavender flowers and leaves can be used fresh, the buds and stems can be used dried. Since the lavender flavor intensifies when the herb is dried, the dried buds should be used sparingly.
Can you use any type of lavender for tea?
Most lavenders (and hybrids) will work fine for tea, but some like the Spanish Lavender (stoechas: the ones with the flowers shaped like pineapples with the bunny ears on top) are too strong for most culinary applications.
Should I deadhead French lavender?
Dead-head French lavenders throughout the summer as they’ll flower continuously from May to September. Deadheading will also encourage more flowering through the season.
Should you cut back French lavender?
For best results, grow Lavandula stoechas in well-drained soil in full sun. Cut back the flower stalks after they have finished, and then trim back plants in April, if necessary.
Do you cut back French lavender in winter?
Pruning and caring for French lavender
At the end of winter, prune as you wish, but follow the rounded shape of the plant.
What happens if you don’t cut back lavender?
If you don’t prune lavender, the plant will quickly become leggy and woody, and won’t be able to hold its own weight very well. This means the stems will flop over when heavy with flowers, causing the plant to spread out and exposing more of the old wood in the plant.
What happens if you don’t Deadhead lavender?
Is Deadheading Absolutely Necessary? While deadheading can encourage new blooms and tidy up your plants, it’s not absolutely necessary. Lavenders cope just fine with their old blooms still attached, and they normally fall off after a couple of months anyway.