October 10, 2024, 11:10 am | Read time: 3 minutes
In addition to its wonderful fragrance and attractive flowers, lavender has a lot more to offer: It is insect-friendly, copes well with drought, and, for many gardeners, has become an essential part of the summer garden. myHOMEBOOK presents popular varieties of the Mediterranean plant.
The lavender genus, part of the mint family, comprises over 30 different species. Some lavender varieties hold particular significance for our gardens, notably the true lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), also known as English lavender, and the Provence lavender (Lavandula x intermedia), a hybrid of true lavender and spike lavender (Lavandula latifolia). In addition, the crested lavender (Lavandula stoechas) and several other species are also favored.
Popular varieties of true lavender
The varieties of Lavandula angustifolia are generally hardy.
‘Hidcote Blue’
A short and compact variety with dark purple flowers, ‘Hidcote Blue’ reaches up to 40 centimeters (about 16 inches) in height. Due to its compact yet slow growth, this lavender is very suitable for low hedges such as borders. Its beautiful, intense color makes it a top candidate for a bouquet.
‘Reve de Jean Claude’
This vigorous, relatively new lavender variety from Provence grows upright and can reach a height of up to 70 centimeters. The strikingly long flowers are beautiful light blue to pastel purple in color and have a particularly intense fragrance.
‘Two Seasons’ or also ‘Irene Doyle’
The ‘Two Seasons’ variety lives up to its name: it flowers twice a year. Once in June and a second time in September and October. A prerequisite for the second flowering is that the plant is supplied with sufficient water in summer. The flowers of this fast-growing variety, which grows up to 50 centimeters tall, are light purple.
‘Miss Katherine’
This vibrant pink variety can grow up to 70 centimeters (approximately 28 inches) tall and typically blooms later in the year, from July to August. It looks particularly impressive in combination with white-flowering lavender.
‘Lavandula angustifolia ssp. alba’
The white-flowering lavender has a bushy and compact growth habit, reaching up to 60 centimeters (around 24 inches) in height. Its flowers open in July.
Popular varieties of Provence lavender
Provence lavender varieties are only semi-hardy and require substantial winter protection, particularly in cooler regions. Compared to true lavender, the varieties of this species not only have larger inflorescences but are also larger overall. They reach a height of 80 to 90 centimeters.
‘Grosso’
‘Grosso,’ probably the best-known variety of this species, is the typical postcard lavender. It is highly robust and productive, accounting for use in 80 percent of today’s lavender cultivation areas. The flowers are ideal for drying.
‘Grappenhall’ or also ‘Pale Pretender’
This intensely fragrant variety has been on the market since 1912. It has light purple flowers and particularly beautiful, broad, shimmering gray-white-silvery foliage.
‘Arabian Nights’
This variety is characterized by intense blue-violet flowers and a long and late flowering period. The silver-grey foliage, with its purple tinge, is also a real eye-catcher in winter.
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Other lavender varieties
Crested lavender Lavandula stoechas ‘Papillon’
The crested lavender has very decorative, towering, light purple bracts on its inflorescences. Although ‘Papillon’ is more frost-resistant than other crested lavender varieties, it still needs good winter protection.
Canary lavender (Lavandula pinnata)
Canary lavender stands out with its azure-blue flowers and pinnate leaves, a trait quite rare for lavender. Its fragrance is rather subtle. As the plant is not hardy, it is best cultivated in a tub and kept frost-free, bright, and cool in winter.