Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Lavender

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Lavandula spp.


Lavandula (common name Lavender) is a genus of 39 species of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae. It is native to the Old World and is found from Cape Verde and the Canary Islands, southern Europe across to northern and eastern Africa, the Mediterranean, southwest Asia to southeast India. Many members of the genus are cultivated extensively in temperate climates as ornamental plants for garden and landscape use, for use as culinary herbs, and also commercially for the extraction of essential oils. The most widely cultivated species, Lavandula angustifolia is often referred to as lavender, and there is a colour named for the shade of the flowers of this species.

Also known as


Lavandula (spp- intermedia, pendunculata, officinalis and angustifolia) English lavender, Broad-leaf Lavender, Grande Lavander and True Lavender

Introduction


Lavender is aromatic perennial evergreen shrub. Its woody stems bear lavender or purple flowers from late spring to early autumn, although there are varieties with blossoms of white or pink. Lavender is native to the Mediterranean, but now cultivated in cool-winter, dry-summer areas in Europe and the Western United States. The use of Lavender goes back thousands of years, with the first recorded uses by the Egyptians during the mummification process. Both the Greeks and the Romans had many uses for it, the most popular being for bathing, cooking, as an ingredient in perfume, healing wounds, and as an insect repellant. Lavender was used as an after-bath perfume by the Romans, who gave the herb its name from the Latin lavare, to wash. During the Great Plague of 1665, grave robbers would wash their hands in a concoction called "Four Thieves Vinegar", which contained lavender, wormwood, rue, sage, mint, and rosemary, and vinegar; they rarely became infected. English folklore tells that a mixture of lavender, mugwort, chamomile, and rose petals will attract sprites, fairies, brownies, and elves.

Constituents

Essential oil containing borneol, camphor, geraniol, and linalool, also coumarins, caryophyllene, tannins, and other antioxidant compounds.

Parts Used


Flowers.

Typical Preparations


Teas, tinctures, and added to baked goods. Cosmetically it has a multitude of uses and can be included in ointments for pain and burn relief.

Summary


Lavender flowers are approved by the German Commission E for promoting both a healthy mood and healthy circulation. The scent of lavender has shown to have positive effects on mood within certain adult populations and can help to alleviate mild feelings of agitation or distress.
As a spice, lavender is best known as an important aspect of French cuisine and is an integral ingredient in herbs de Provence seasoning blends. Lavender may be used on its own to give a delightful, floral flavor to desserts, meats, and breads. The flowers can also be layered within sugar to infuse it with its distinctive aroma for use in cookies and candies.
Similar to cilantro, some individuals perceive the taste of lavender in a manner that is undesirable within cuisine. An estimated 10% of the population interprets lavender to have a soapy and unsavory flavor. For this reason, it may be wise to exercise caution while using lavender as a flavoring agent.

Lavender has been thought for centuries to arouse passions as an aphrodisiac, and is still one of the most recognized scents in the world.

References


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=17342790&dopt=Abstract
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=16504900&dopt=Abstract
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7897075?dopt=Abstract
The Contemporary Encyclopedia of Herbs & Spices by T. Hill (199-200)

Precautions

For best results, avoid heating the herb directly with boiling water, although a simmer is fine.

Lavender
Lavender fills the early-summer garden with sensory delights: beautiful purple-tone blooms atop foliage that oozes fragrance on a sunny afternoon. Every part of the plant is infused with aromatic oil, making this a choice herb to place along pathways or near outdoor seating areas so you can savor the fragrance. Lavender varieties abound: The darker the flower, the more intense the aroma -- and the flavor in cooking.
Drought-, heat-, and wind-tolerant, lavender doesn't like poor drainage, waterlogged soil, or high humidity. Raised beds can enhance drainage; surrounding plants with a gravel mulch can help increase heat around roots. After flowering, shear plants to induce bushiness and subsequent bloom. Avoid cutting plants back to the ground. Dried blooms retain fragrance for a long time; crush dried flowers to release aromatic oils anew.
Light:
Sun
Zones:
5-10
Plant Type:
Perennial,Herb,Shrub
Plant Height:
1-3 feet tall
Plant Width:
1-3 feet wide
Flower Color:
Deep violet, lavender, white
Bloom Time:
Flowers early to midsummer
Landscape Uses:
Containers,Beds & Borders,Slopes,Groundcover
Special Features:
Flowers,Attractive Foliage,Fragrant,Cut Flowers,Dried Flowers,Attracts Birds,Attracts Hummingbirds,Attracts Butterflies,Drought Tolerant,Deer Resistant
Top Varieties
Lavandula stoechas'Ballerina' is a lovely Spanish lavender that has cone-shape clusters of purple flowers topped by featherlike white bracts. It grows 18 inches tall and 24 inches wide. Zones 8-9; usually grown as an annual in colder Zones
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Lavandula angustifolia'Betty's Blue' has a more rounded shape than other lavenders. It offers large clusters of dark purple-blue flowers in late spring and early summer. It grows 30 inches tall and 36 inches wide. Zones 5-8
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Lavandula angustifolia 'Blue Cushion' offers a compact, mounded habit, a long bloom season, and spikes of deep-purple flowers. It reaches 16 inches tall and wide. Zones 5-8
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Lavandula angustifolia'Buena Vista' is a special reblooming variety that bears lavender-purple flowers in late spring and again in fall. It grows 28 inches tall and 36 inches wide. Zones 5-8
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Lavandula angustifolia'Croxton's Wild' is a close relative to the lavenders that grow in the wild in the Mediterranean region. It grows 24 inches tall and 36 inches wide. Zones 5-8
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Lavandula stoechas 'Curly Top' is a Spanish lavender that has purple flowers crowned by bright purple bracts. It grows 24 inches tall and wide. Zones 8-9; usually grown as an annual in colder Zones
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Lavandula x intermedia'Edelweiss' bears white flowers and a compact habit. It grows 24 inches tall and 36 inches wide. Zones 6-8
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Lavandula angustifolia'Ellegance Purple' is an early-blooming selection with waves of rich blue-purple flowers in midsummer and autumn. It grows only 12 inches tall and wide. Zones 5-9
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Lavandula angustifolia is the traditional, culinary type. It bears violet-purple blooms and reaches 2-3 feet in height. Zones 5-8
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Lavandula multifida is a graceful tender shrub that has finely divided gray-green leaves and spikes of purple flowers in summer. It grows 3 feet tall and wide. Zones 9-11
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Lavandula angustifolia'Folgate' is a variety that has a tight, dense habit. It bears lavender-purple flowers in early summer and grows 20 inches tall and 24 inches wide. Zones 5-8
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Lavandula dentata is a shrubby, camphor-scented plant with tall spikes of purple flowers over its fuzzy toothed leaves. It's one of the best types to grow indoors as a houseplant and can flower year-round. It grows 3 feet tall and 5 feet wide. Zones 8-9
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Lavandula angustifolia'Graves' is an exceptionally fragrant variety with lavender-blue flowers in late spring and early summer. It grows 36 inches tall and 30 inches wide. Zones 5-8
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Lavandula x intermedia'Gros Bleu' has dark purple flowers on long stems. It's a good bloomer and grows 30 inches tall and 36 inches wide. Zones 6-8
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Lavandula x intermedia'Grosso' bears violet blossoms on long, bright green stems that soar outward from silver foliage, creating a striking shrub in the garden. Zones 5-8
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Lavandula angustifolia'Hidcote' is a dwarf English lavender, presenting dark blue blooms on a tidy 18-inch-tall plant. Zones 5-10
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Lavandula x intermedia'Hidcote Giant' is known for its heavy blooms on long stems in midsummer. It grows 30 inches tall and 36 inches wide. Zones 6-8
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Lavandula x intermedia'Impress Purple' has strongly scented foliage and flowers. It blooms in mid- to late summer and grows 30 inches tall and 36 inches wide. Zones 6-8
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Lavandula angustifolia 'Jean Davis' sports pale pink blossoms with a fruity flavor that adds wonderful taste and aroma to cake, tea, or vinegar. Zones 5-10
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Lavandula angustifolia'Lady' is an award-winning selection that can be grown as an annual. It has a compact habit and purple-blue flowers in early summer. It grows 18 inches tall and wide. Zones 5-8
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Lavandula stoechas 'Madrid Purple' is an exceptional Spanish lavender with rich purple flowers and lighter purple bracts. It grows 24 inches tall and wide. Zones 8-9
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Lavandula angustifolia'Melissa' is a delicate-looking variety with silvery-pink flowers that fade to white. It grows 20 inches tall and 24 inches wide. Zones 5-8
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Lavandula angustifolia'Munstead' offers lovely lavender-blue flowers that bring a luscious flavor to butter, cookies, or tea. Shorter plants (18 inches tall) and flower stalks make Munstead a perfect choice for a lavender hedge or knot garden. Zones 5-10
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Lavandula x intermedia'Provence' is a classic variety that shows off lavender-blue flowers in summer. It's one of the most fragrant varieties. It grows 30 inches tall and 36 inches wide. Zones 6-8
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Lavandula angustifolia'Purple Bouquet' is known for its long stems and rich purple blooms in early summer. It grows 20 inches tall and 30 inches wide. Zones 5-8
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Lavandula angustifolia'Royal Purple' is a choice selection for its profusion of early-summer blooms. It grows 32 inches tall and 36 inches wide. Zones 5-8
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Lavandula dentata'Serenity' is an exceptionally showy variety that has highly fragrant, toothed gray-green foliage and tall spikes of purple flowers. It grows 16 inches tall and wide. Zones 8-10; usually grown as an annual in colder Zones
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Lavandula stoechas unfurls deep-purple blooms topped with lavender-hue bracts, creating a two-tone flower. Plants grow 2-3 feet tall. Zones 8-9; usually grown as an annual in colder Zones
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Lavandula stoechas 'Van Gogh' shows off lavender-blue flowers topped by festive white bracts. It grows 24 inches tall and wide. Zones 8-9; usually grown as an annual in colder Zones
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HISTORY OF LAVENDER
Lavender has been used since ancient times. As an herb, lavender has been in recorded use for over 2,500 years. The early uses of Lavender flowers were as numerous as today.
There are several references to Lavender in the Bible. It was called Nard, after the Syrian city of Naarda. Lavender was one of the holy herbs used to prepare the Holy Essence and Nard. It is mentioned in the Bible in the ‘Song of Solomon’ among other places.
Lavender is indigenous to the Mediterranean but was thought to be first domesticated by the Arabians and then spread across Europe from Greece around 600 BC. The ancient Egyptians and the Arabians used Lavender for perfume and mummification.The ancient Greeks used Lavender in medicine, cooking, bathing, and scenting the air. According to legend, Cleopatra used Lavender flowers to seduce Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. The Romans used Lavender to scent their baths, beds, clothes and also discovered its medicinal properties.
In Medieval and Renaissance Europe, Lavender flowers were strewn over the stone floors of castles for use as a disinfectant and deodorant. Queen Elizabeth I drank lavender tea to ease her migraines, promote her sense of well being and used it as a body perfume. Louis XIV loved bathing in lavender scented water. Queen Victoria made lavender famous all across England. She also brought lavender into fashion as a perfume for English ladies.
Lavender first arrived on the North American continent with english pilgrams in 1600′s. English Lavender was introduced commercially in the late 1500 early 1600. The Shakers were the first to grow lavender commercially in the USA and Canada.
In this Modern Times, Lavender became famous since one of the founders of modern day aromatherapy, Rene-Maurice Gattefosse, discovered the use of lavender to heal his burn quickly. During the First World War, nurses bathed soldiers’ wounds with lavender washes. Lavender was considered an antiseptic.
Today lavender is cultivated all around the world. Bulgaria, Netherlands, Germany, Russia, England, France, New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the USA are all known for growing lavender.

LAVENDER FLOWER MEANING 


Lavender — Luck, devotion

In the language of flowers, the Lavender flower has its own meaning and symbolism. The most common meaning of the Lavender flower is love and devotion. Lavender flowers are also associated with purity, silence and caution. When given as a gift, Lavender flowers represent luck. They also offer the promise of new adventure.
The Lavender flower has given a birth to a soft and sophisticated color called lavender. Lavender color is the color of feminity. Lavender color represents grace, elegance, romance, something unique and special. Lavender color is associated with spiritual healing and tranquillization. Lavender color has also represents refinement, luxury and wealth.

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