Re: speaking of Lavenders
- Subject: Re: speaking of Lavenders
- From: d* f* <d*@yahoo.com>
- Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2008 09:31:28 -0700 (PDT)
John,
You are right of course about the incorrect species name. I had meant to write L. pinnata, which is hardy enough here in most winters in Berkeley, but will die out in a freeze when we get them. As to everblooming, it does seem to bloom at least 9 or 10 months of the year around here.
--- On Sun, 7/27/08, John C. Macgregor <jonivy@earthlink.net> wrote:
> From: John C. Macgregor <jonivy@earthlink.net>
> Subject: Re: speaking of Lavenders
> To: davidfeix@yahoo.com
> Cc: "medit-plants Plants" <medit-plants@ucdavis.edu>
> Date: Sunday, July 27, 2008, 1:45 AM
> On Jul 26, 2008, at 10:52 PM, david feix wrote:
>
> > One species that doesn't have the characteristic
> fragrance to
> > foliage or blooms is L. spicata, which I particularly
> like because
> > it never stops blooming, is always showy in bloom, and
> the deer
> > don't eat it.
>
> David,
>
> Lavandula spicata is not a valid botanical name. The
> English common
> name "Spike Lavender" is usually applied to L.
> latifolia, but that
> certainly is not a perpetual bloomer. One of the few
> lavenders that
> flower all year in our climate is L. dentata, the
> "toothed lavender",
> with crenated leaf edges. I am guessing this is what you
> meant,
> since I cannot think of another lavender that really fits
> your
> description. Most people in the U.S. know this as
> "French lavender"
> and it comes in both green- and gray-leafed forms.
>
> Unless you might mean one of the fern-leafed lavenders from
> North
> Africa like L. multifida. That blooms all year in southern
>
> California if one periodically cuts off the faded blossom
> stalks
> individually. But I'm not sure how hardy it might be
> in the Bay
> Area. In a warm spot we can carry it through most winters
> down here,
> but it froze dead for us winter before last. The other
> fern-leafed
> lavenders like L, canariensis, its hybrid L. x cristiana,
> L.
> pinnata, L. buchii, and L. minutolii all bloom more or less
>
> perpetually during warm weather, but they seem to die out
> when the
> temperature falls much below 40 degrees F. If the soil is
> bare and
> exposed, they usually send up seedlings when the weather
> gets good
> and warm again.
>
> We have had extensive discussions about pruning lavenders
> recently on
> the Yahoo! Lavandula group. Some of you might like to
> check it out.
> This is a very active group with approximately 650 members,
> many of
> them lavender farmers. The archives are a treasure trove
> of
> information on growing, processing, and using lavenders.
>
> John C. MacGregor, List Owner
> Lavandula@yahoogroups.com
> South Pasadena, CA 91030 USA
> USDA zone 9 Sunset zones 21/23
> jonivy@earthlink.net
