Last Updated on March 3, 2022 by Cristina
Because of its characteristics as all three things; a herb, a shrub, and a flower – many gardeners wonder is lavender a flower? This beautiful plant, without a doubt one of the most popular plants on the planet because of its beautiful scent, is a thing of wonder. In today’s article, we’ll be learning exactly how it’s characterized, how it’s grown and some of its natural qualities.
A Flower Or Something Else?
Despite its shrubbery qualities, lavender is officially classified as a flower. There are many different plants in the Lavandula genus and it’s technically part of the mint family. Despite being a flower, however, this plant has the qualities of a shrub.
There are currently about 50 officially recognized species of this flower while at least 32 of them are original, while other species are hybrids of different lavender species combined together.
The genus of lavender actually includes herbaceous plants, subshrubs, and small shrubs, with different species within the genus having noticeable differences in appearance and aromatic qualities.
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Characteristics Of Lavender – Is Lavender A Flower?
This flower traditionally grows in north and east Africa, the Mediterranean, India, Arabia, and the Canary Islands. It’s become immensely popular in the perfume industry because of its incredibly potent, but also incredibly beautiful scent. The appearance of the flower and its aromatic qualities make it one of the most used flowers in the perfume industry.
This particularly applies to true lavender, which is planted in gardens and grown in massive amounts, after which gardeners sell it to perfumers.
A typical lavender can grow in the wild, almost as a weed, but it’s also often grown by gardeners. Their blossoms are traditionally blue, small, and tubular. The bloom period lasts from June to August and they’re a favorite of bees. In the leaves and the blossoms, we can often find oil glands which are used in commercial essential oils.
In France and Spain, there are acres upon acres of these flowers grown, most often for the perfume industry, and it’s quite a sight to behold.
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Medicinal Use – Is Lavender A Flower?
Even though they’re primarily utilized for making fragrances, lavender flowers have quite a history in medicine. They were used and still are, in herbalism to quite an extent. Since lavender essential oil has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties, it was often used as an active agent to disinfect floors and walls in hospitals during the Second World War.
Some doctors have even used it as a disinfectant for wounds, while some researchers suggest that high doses of lavender essential oil can kill bacteria. Sometimes, medicinal practitioners use lavender as a sedative because of its supposed tranquilizing effect, while it’s also often used to help with headaches. Mind you, this is no substitute for anesthesia, but it can be used as a pain relief with confirmed effects.
Rubbing it on insect bites has also proven to vastly reduce swelling, itchiness, and pain, while it was also used for snake bites (although with bad results, as essential lavender oil isn’t antivenom). According to research, an Epsom salt bath with lavender extract is able to soothe tired nerves.
Lastly, it’s very often used to help relax a person and induce sleep, especially with sleep-deprived individuals. Users can drink it as tea or put lavender next to the pillow – the intense scent is usually enough to help them sleep.
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Growing Lavender
You can grow your own lavender at home, but whether your soil is viable depends on geography. Lavenders like moist soil, while fertility usually isn’t important as the plant can thrive even in a poorly-fertile environment. If you’re planting lavender, you should plant it in the spring after the soil has warmed up and there’s no more frost (frost will instantly kill the plant).
It’s difficult to grow lavender from seed, which is why experts recommend that you buy young plants from a garden while cutting from a mature plant can work too. Each lavender plant should be planted at least 2 feet apart from one another, as they’ll spread and grow up to 3 feet in height.
Lavender needs planting at least once a week after you plant them until the plants are established. Once the plants have matured, it’s enough to water them every two to three weeks. If you live in a colder area, you’re going to need to provide them with some protection. Using mulch will insulate the plants from freezing winds and low temperatures.
Lavender loves sunlight, so make sure to place them in a sunny spot, even if you grow them inside. In more humid climates, lavender is susceptible to fungal diseases, and just like any plant, it’s susceptible to root rot if you overwater it.
To End – Is Lavender A Flower?
Although they have some characteristics of shrubs and herbs, lavenders are definitely flowers. There are about 50 different species in the genus of lavender, and they usually grow in south Europe, the Mediterranean, north and east Africa, the Canary Islands, and India. Lavender is usually grown for its scent – these flowers are massively used in the perfume industry.
It also has proven medical qualities – such as toning down anxiety, helping with migraines and headaches, helping soothe pains, stings, and bites, and it even has disinfecting properties, so much so it was used as a disinfectant during the Second World War. This flower is grown so much there are entire fields of it in France and Spain.
FAQ’s
What is a lavender flower?
Lavender is any flower from the Lavandula genus, usually growing in the Mediterranean, India, north and east Africa and the Canary Islands. It's also very common in south Europe.
Does lavender count as a flower?
Yes, lavender is officially classified as a flower. Confusion often arises when it comes to this question because of the qualities of the flower, which are herbaceous and shrubbery.
Is lavender a grass or a flower.
Lavender is definitely not grass. Even though they grow in massive fields and appear to grow like weed - lavender is definitely a flower.
Is lavender a herb or a plant?
Despite their herbaceous qualities and characteristics, lavenders aren't herbs. They're flowers with some herbaceous characteristics.
