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External Websites
- Cleveland Clinic - 6 Lavender Benefits and How To Use It
- Purdue University - NewCROP - Lavender
- PlantVillage - Lavender
- Royal Horticultural Society - Lavender
- University of California - Agriculture and Natural Resources - Lavender Production, Markets, and Agritourism (PDF)
- NC State Extension - Lavender: History, Taxonomy, and Production
- National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Lavender and the Nervous System
- Mount Sinai - Lavender
- The Spruce - How to Grow Lavender: Planting and Care
- University of Kentucky - Center for Crop Diversification Crop Profile - Lavender
- American Botanical Council - Lavender
Also known as: Lavandula
Written and fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last Updated: •Article History
- Related Topics:
- lavender oil
- French lavender
- English lavender
- woolly lavender
- lavender water
See all related content
lavender, (genus Lavandula), genus of about 30 species of plants in the mint family (Lamiaceae), native to countries bordering the Mediterranean. Lavender species are common in herb gardens for their fragrant leaves and attractive flowers. The plants are widely cultivated for their essential oils, which are used to scent a variety of products. The dried flowers, for example, have long been used in sachets to scent chests and closets, and the ancient Romans used lavender in their baths. Lavender is sometimes also used to flavour beverages and sweets and has a number of applications in herbal medicine. English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), French lavender (L. stoechas), and woolly lavender (L. lanata) are among the most widely cultivated species.
Physical description
Lavenders are small evergreen shrubs with gray-green hoary linear leaves. The purple flowers are sparsely arranged on spikes at the tips of long bare stalks and produce small nutlet fruits. The fragrance of the plant is caused by shining oil glands imbedded among tiny star-shaped trichomes (plant hairs) that cover the flowers, leaves, and stems. The plants in cultivation do not usually produce seed, and propagation is accomplished by cuttings or by dividing the roots.
Essential oil
Lavender oil, or lavender flower oil, is obtained by distillation of the flowers and is used chiefly in fine perfumes and cosmetics. It is a colourless or yellow liquid, the fragrant constituents of which are linalyl acetate, linalool, pinene, limonene, geraniol, and cineole. Lavender water, a solution of the essential oil in alcohol with other added scents, is used in a variety of toilette preparations.
Britannica QuizPlants: From Cute to CarnivorousSpike oil, or spike lavender oil, is distilled from a somewhat inferior grade of lavender. Oil of spike is used in painting on porcelain, in soap manufacture, and to scent other products.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
This article was most recently revised and updated by Melissa Petruzzello.
