Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is one of those plants you just can’t help but love. Besides its drop dead gorgeous purple blooms and fragrant aroma, lavender attracts beneficial insects and is also used in cosmetics and cooking.
Of course, for our purposes on this website, we like lavender for its proven health benefits such as soothing and calming rattled nerves as well as treating anxiety, depression and sleeplessness. In fact, lavender herbal preparations have been used for ages to treat these issues.
Today, lavender is also known for its antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties, including helping to heal minor burns and treat bug bites. Herbalist literature often mentions the need to have some quality lavender oil in your emergency herbal first-aid kit.
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Lavender is a bushy perennial that belongs to the mint family and is believed to be native to the Mediterranean, the Middle East and India.
Lavender likes full sun in well-drained soil. And while there are many varieties of lavender with differing characteristics, most types thrive in the arid West, but are best grown as annuals or container plants in the humid South because lavender does not thrive in areas of high humidity.
Most varieties of lavender are hardy from zones 5 to 9.
Lavender should be planted in the spring. You can wait until summer or fall, but the earlier the better to ensure the plants are strong enough to survive the upcoming winter. These plants prefer slightly alkaline soil. They should never be planted in areas that receive a lot of moisture.
Keep in mind that lavender is a low-maintenance plant, so you only need to water about once or twice a week as the plants start to grow, and then slowly cut watering to every two to three weeks.
Fertilizer is generally not used with these hardy plants.
Seeds vs. Transplants vs. Cuttings
Some patience is required when growing lavender from seed. It can take up to a month for lavender seeds to germinate. The seeds do require warm temperatures between 65 and 70 degrees so be prepared to grow them in a warm spot indoors, in a greenhouse or by using a heat mat.
Good varieties for starting from seed are Lady and Munstead.
You may find starting lavender from small nursery plants a lot easier. Select healthy plants with developed root systems. Be sure to space plants one to 3 feet apart.
Prepare a planting hole that’s twice as deep and twice as wide as the root ball of your lavender plant. When planting multiple plants, you can amend the soil for each planting hole, or amend the whole bed before planting. In a container, prepare a well-draining soil mix by combining gravel or sand with soil.
You can eventually propagate more plants from cuttings. Simply remove the bottom 3-5 sets of leaves from the stem. You can pinch them off with your fingernail, or snip them off with a sharp pair of clippers. Removing the bottom leaves will create small wounds on the stems, and that’s where the roots will grow out of.
Lavender plants may be propagated in soil or water. Read here for more information.
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Begin harvesting when about half of the buds open. Cut the stems long for easy bundling, and then place the lavender bundles in a cool, dark place to dry. Let the lavender dry for about a week until there is no moisture remaining on the stems in the center of the bundle.
It is critical for the lavender to be properly dried. When drying lavender, though, do it in small bunches as larger bunches prevent evaporation and increase the risk of mold formation.
After the flowers have dried fully, they can be shaken gently from the stems into a container.
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There are quite a few uses for dried lavender flowers and dried leaves. They can be used for everything from drawer fresheners and sleep aids to insect repellents. You can also make lavender tea and use lavender in culinary dishes. Lavender leaves can be used in place of fresh rosemary.
Making infused lavender oil from lavender leaves or flowers is also popular as is making a health salve from lavender leaves, which may provide headache relief.
Learn more about lavender flower and lavender leaf uses here and here.
Note: For most people, lavender is safe and presents no side effects. However, it’s best not to take lavender (which may cause drowsiness) if you are taking a medication that also makes you sleepy.
There is not enough reliable information to know if lavender is safe to use when pregnant or breastfeeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.
And, as with any medicinal plant product, get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction.
