Common Name: French lavender
Genus: Lavandula
Species: stoechas
Skill Level: Experienced
Exposure: Full sun
Hardiness: Hardy
Soil type: Well-drained/light, Chalky/alkaline,Dry, Sandy
Height: 60cm
Spread: 60cm
Time to plant seeds: March to May
Time to take cuttings: April to August
An attractive and unusual lavender from hot, dry Mediterranean regions, and best grown in a warm position, sheltered from cold winds and frost. It is not fully hardy, but survives well in a sunny corner or against a warm wall, and makes an excellent container plant that can be brought under cover in winter. It has been cultivated for more than 400 years, and a favourite both for its intense fragrance and also the short dense flower spikes topped with a flourish of conspicuous rich violet bracts, rather like a set of extravagant ears. The Royal Horticultural Society has given it its Award of Garden Merit (AGM).
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LAVANDULA stoechasFrench Lavander, Spanish Lavender ____________________________________
Type:
PerennialHeight: 2-3′ (60-90cm) Flowering Time: Summer Flower Colour: Mauve, purple, pink, cream ____________________________________
Botanical Classification:
Class:
Angiospermae (Angiosperms)Subclass: Dicotyledonae (Dicotyledons) Superorder: Asteridae (Daisy Superorder) Order: Lamiales (Nettle Order) Family: Lamiaceae (Nettle Family) Genus: Lavandula (Lavender) Species: stoechas (from the Stoechades, French islands) ____________________________________
Lavandula stoechas is a small leafy shrub with aromatic leaves, but a little different from our more common lavender. The leaves are more needle-like and the shrub is tighter, and the flowers are very different, forming a short rounded barrel of bracts with tiny purple flowers in, with a large frill on top. The petals are usually purple, but there is a variety with green (or perhaps cream) petals which is very unusual.
Being from the Mediterranean region, these plants prefer a sunny position, which also brings out the fragrance, which is stronger than English Lavender.
____________________________________Harvesting and Growing from Seed:
Germination:Any time
Outside
(24-44 days)Seed Pod There is no seed pod. Each individual flower produces seeds which are inside the calyx.Seed The seeds are small flattish dark brown nuts. There are four seeds from each individual
flower on the flower spike.Seedling The seedling has narrow greyish leaves.
(You can check the meaning of any technical terms new to you in the Botany section of the site)
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