Re: Lavandin vs. L. angustifolia
- Subject: Re: Lavandin vs. L. angustifolia
- From: J* M*
- Date: Tue, 14 May 2002 14:21:37 -0700
Joe Seals wrote:
> A local nursery here has been selling lavenders as
> "Lavandula x intermedia 'Provence'". They are small,
> unflowering one gallons and for all that I can see,
> they look EXACTLY like Lavandula angustifolia.
>
> I have never seen 'Provence' so I couldn't tell you
> if, indeed, these plants are what they are said to be.
> What's the difference between 'Provence' and L.
> angustifolia?
Joe,
Olivier's summary is very good, but he left out a key character for
recognition. The leaves of Lavandula angustifolia are always four-ranked,
meaning that each successive pair of leaves is attached at 90-degree angles
from the ones below, so that the view of the top of a shoot forms a cross,
with pairs of leaves alternating on different sides of the square stem. The
leaves of L. latifolia are whorled. Leaves of their hybrids, L. X
intermedia (the lavandins) are all whorled.
'Provence' is one of the best of the lavendin cultivars (although it is
apparently unknown in France--at least under this name). It is one of the
most common ones in the western USA, and has gray-green foliage (not
silver), and fairly large, very fragrant flowers in slightly purplish
lavender, good for cutting as well as drying. Since it is so prevalent in
California nurseries, I would guess that these plants are exactly what they
say they are.
If they look to you to be exactly the same as "English" lavender, then I
would guess that what you have been calling "English" lavender all these
years is actually a form of lavendin.
John MacGregor
South Pasadena, CA 91030
USDA zone 9 Sunset zones 21/23
Olivier Filippi wrote:
>> Lavandula angustifolia is a dwarf round species,
>> growing in the southern Alps. It is variable, the
>> common forms have thin grey green leaves (hence
>> angustifolia) and dark blue flowers on short
>> unbranched flower stalks. It flowers in June. No
>> dentation on the leaves. Many selections from the
>> wild are found in the trade, with white, pale pink,
>> soft blue or very dark purple blue flowers. The term
>> "English Lavender" is pretty good for confusion :
>> here in France "English Lavender" refers to
>> Lavandula dentata, which by the way is called
>> "French Lavender" in England (and of course it is
>> not native in France or England, but in Spain and
>> Morocco !).
>>
>> Lavandula latifolia is a low growing species with
>> very large silver grey leaves. No dentatation on the
>> leaves. It grows on poor alcaline soil in the open
>> garrigue. The flowers are pale blue and the flower
>> stalks are much branched, giving it more an
>> appearance of a Perovskia or something like that,
>> quite unusual for a Lavender. It flowers in July,
>> August and September. The plant is rarely grown in
>> nurseries.
>>
>> Lavandula x intermedia (often called Lavandin) is
>> the hybrid between L. angustifolia and L. latifolia.
>> Many cultivars exist, quite different from each
>> other, often having a clear influence from one
>> parent. For example L. x intermedia 'Grosso' has a
>> compact habit, grey green leaves, it is an early
>> bloomer with dark flowers on almost unbranched
>> stalks : it has many characteristics of L.
>> angustifolia. On the other hand L. x intermedia
>> 'Dutch' has silver grey leaves, strong growth, pale
>> blue flowers on branched stalks and blooms in July,
>> August and September : it clearly has the L.
>> latifolia main influence.
>>
>> Now if you have dentations on the leaves of your
>> lavender, you most probably have one of the hybrid
>> of L. dentata. There are three groups of hybrids
>> having L. dentata as a parent : L. x allardii (L.
>> latifolia x L. dentata), L. x heterophylla (L.
>> angustifolia x L. dentata) and L. 'Goodwin Creek
>> Grey' (probably L. lanata x L. dentata, or L. x
>> heterophylla x L. lanata).
>>
>> Not with dentations but with finely cut feathery
>> foliage you also have the moroccon and canarian
>> species, L. multifida, L. pinnata, L. minutolii, L.
>> canariensis, and L. buchii (all beautiful but very
>> tender).
