Table of Contents
Differences & Similarities
The groups of Lavender plants commonly grown in UK gardens are English Lavender, Dutch Lavandin, and French “Butterfly” Lavender. They all:
- Can be clipped into low ornamental hedges, ideal for edging the base of borders and planting around the feet of taller shrubs like roses.
- Are Mediterranean coastal plants that thrive in a poor, free draining soil with full sun and good air flow.
- Are good to grow in pots on patios etc.
- Are great for bees
Lavandula angustifolia: Common or English Lavender
- Fully Hardy: RHS Rating H5 (-15 to -10)
- Best species for cooking and aromatherapy with a sweeter, more soothing scent, ideal for pillows and evening baths
- Thin cigar shaped flowers with no ears
- Most popular group for growing in the UK
- Includes the two all-time best-selling varieties, Hidcote and Munstead
- It’s not native, it just grows well here
Lavandula x intermedia: Dutch Lavender or Lavandin
- Fully Hardy: RHS Rating H5 (-15 to -10)
- Best species for pot-pourri, candles, and insect repellents due to its stronger, more stimulating camphor-rich fragrance, ideal for sock drawers and morning shower gels!
- Longer, tapering flowers ending in a point, usually with one or two smaller secondary flower heads further down the stalk.
Lavandula stoechas & L. pedunculata: French / Spanish “Butterfly Ears” Lavender
- Hardy in most of UK: RHS Rating H4 (-10 to -5)
- Ideal for pots that can be moved to shelter during Winter in colder regions of the North & Scotland, mostly to prevent cosmetic damage to the leaves
- Best looking flowers and blooms before others
- Distinctive “butterfly ears” called bracts on top of their chubby, cigar shaped flowerheads.
Which Lavender is Best as a Herb for Kitchen Use?
All lavender is edible, but only English lavender, is low enough in bitter camphor to taste good.
- Rich purple flowering varieties, like Hidcote, Havana, or Beezee Blue, are best because they keep their colour when dried and cooked
- Paler purple, pink or white varieties like Munstead, Arctic Snow, Loddon Pink, or Rosea tend to go a bit grey when dry