Best Lavender Plants in Garden Landscapes
Popular Lavender Plant Varieties for Fragrance and Color
Nov 8, 2009
Lavender plants are a popular garden herb and woody perennial found in many gardens but what cultivars and varieties should be planted? With lots of lavender plants to choose from, there are several lavender plants that gardeners can select. Here are some of the most unusual or popular lavender plant choices.
English Lavender Plants – A Mediterranean Native Herb
Even though Lavendula angustifolia is called “English lavender”, the lavender plants are actually native to the Mediterranean. This lavender plant is one of the most common and there are several named cultivars available.
- Rosea or Jean Davis – Two names for the same lavender plant, this cultivar has pale-pink flowers with silver-green foliage and retains the typical, lavender fragrance.
- Blue Cushion – An usual lavender plant, this cultivar has dark blue flowers that fade to pale blue, and then almost grey, giving the plant an effect of having different colored flowers on the same plant.
- Hidcote – A popular variety of lavender, this cultivar has dark purple flowers and a compact size under 2' tall that makes it a great lavender selection for container gardens.
- Twickel Purple – This lavender plant seems to take on a purple hue to the leaves when cooler weather sets it, which seems appropriate considering the fragrant purple flowers it bears.
Lavandin Hybrid Lavender Plants for Fragrance
The hybrid cross between L angustifolia and L. latifolia is known as lavandin. These lavender plants are most popular for use in crafts, potpourris and sachets. The lavender essential oil that is produced from these lavender plants is an inferior oil, however they are suitable for garden use. Tolerates garden zones 5-8 if the northern zone gardeners provide winter protection.
- Alba – The white flowering form of the lavandin or L intermedia lavender plants, the white flowers are a nice contract to the silver foliage.
- Grosso – The flower stalks and flowers on this lavender cultivar are very large and fragrant, making it an excellent choice for use in aromatic crafts and home décor.
- Provence – One of the most well-known lavandin cultivars, this lavender plant is also one of the taller hybrids and highly fragrant as well.
French Lavender or Fringed Lavender Plants
Lavendula dentata is known as French lavender and has deeply cut foliage that looks fringed, giving it the unusual common name. Not as fragrant as the typical English lavender, the French lavender tolerates southern humidity better and has large, attractive lavender flowers.
- Linda Ligon – A variegated lavender plant, the green foliage is splotched with white streaks throughout the stems and leaves.
- Royal Crown – A named cultivar with pale purple, and highly fragrant flowers.
Whichever lavender plant variety a gardener chooses, there are so many beneficial qualities there are no true mistakes. Add lavender plants to a sunny border, container garden, xeriscape or butterfly garden and find success!
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