600+ Types of Flowers A To Z (With Names and Pictures)
Types Of Flowers By Names (A-Z) Types Of Flowers By Color Types Of Flowers By Season Types Of Flowers By Blooming Time 600+ Types of Flowers No. Flower Name No.…
Lavender, also known as aromatic plant and herb, is often referred to as the “queen of herbs” due to its numerous benefits. It belongs to the family Lamiaceae and the Lavandula genus, and is a semi-shrub or dwarf shrub. It is native to the Mediterranean coast, various parts of Europe, and islands in the Pacific, and has been widely cultivated in the United Kingdom and Yugoslavia.
The flowering period of lavender usually occurs between May and July in spring and summer. The flowers come in various colors, commonly seen in purple, white, and green. Both the leaf shape and flower color are graceful and suitable for planting in gardens. Lavender can also be grown as potted plants for ornamental purposes, emitting a delightful fragrance during the flowering period and providing a high level of visual enjoyment.
Lavender is a semi-shrub or dwarf shrub belonging to the family Lamiaceae and the Lavandula genus. It branches out and is covered in star-shaped hairs. The leaves are linear or lanceolate, with larger leaves on the flowering branches, spaced apart, and smaller leaves on the younger branches, clustered together. They have a short stalk that gradually narrows at the base, with smooth margins that curl outward.
The lower surface of the leaves has raised veins, while the lateral veins and reticulate veins are not prominent. The flowers are arranged in umbels, with numerous flowers forming intermittent or nearly continuous spike-like inflorescences at the top of the branches. The bracts are diamond-shaped or ovate-rhomboid, gradually tapering to a pointed diamond-shaped tip, with inconspicuous bracteoles.
The flowers have short pedicels and are blue, covered in gray branched or unbranched hairs. The calyx is ovate-tubular or nearly tubular, and the corolla is approximately twice as long as the calyx. The corolla lips are bilabiate, with the upper lip straight and larger, rounded and slightly overlapping, and the lower lip spreading open.
The stamens are flattened and hairless, with hairy anthers. The style is hairy, flattened and oval-shaped at the apex. The lobes of the style are opposite the lobes of the ovary. The small nutlets are elliptical, smooth, glossy, and the plant blooms in June. The entire plant emits a slight woody and sweet fragrance.
Lavender is native to the Mediterranean coast, various parts of Europe, and islands in the Pacific, and has been widely cultivated in the United Kingdom and Yugoslavia. Its elegant leaf shape and beautiful flower color, with long and graceful lavender-blue inflorescences, make it a new perennial cold-tolerant flower suitable for planting in garden paths or as borders. It can also be grown as potted plants for ornamental purposes.
Temperature: Lavender has strong adaptability. Adult plants can withstand both low and high temperatures, with a tolerance of around 40°C during the harvest season. In the Huanglong area of Shaanxi, lavender plants can safely overwinter in open fields at around -21°C.
In Xinjiang, with soil burial treatment and snow cover, they can withstand temperatures as low as -37°C. Young seedlings can tolerate temperatures as low as -10°C. During the growth and development process in the following year, lavender prefers an average temperature of around 8°C.
Moisture: Lavender is a plant that prefers dry conditions and does not require much water. During the regreening and budding stages, the plant grows rapidly and requires more water. During the flowering stage, it requires less water.
The fruiting stage requires appropriate water levels. During the winter dormancy period, winter irrigation or snow cover is needed. Therefore, the ideal rainfall distribution throughout the year is abundant in spring, moderate in summer, and sufficient snow in winter.
Sunlight: Lavender is a long-day plant and requires sufficient sunlight during the growth and development period. It requires more than 2000 hours of sunlight throughout the year. If the plants are in a damp and shaded environment, they will have poor development and age quickly.
Soil: Lavender has a well-developed root system and prefers fertile soil with deep, loose, well-drained, and well-aerated qualities rich in siliceous calcium. Planting is not suitable for highly acidic or alkaline soils, heavy clay soils with poor drainage, or areas with a high water table.
Wild lavender is native to the southern foothills of the Alps along the coastal areas of France and southern Italy, as well as Spain, North Africa, and other regions. In the 13th century, it was a major cultivated plant in European medicinal monastery gardens. In the 15th century, cultivation began in the Haute-Provence region.
By the late 16th century, lavender cultivation spread to the southern regions of France. In the 18th century, Lavender became famous for its cultivation in the Surrey Hills, the Lavender Hill in South London, the mountainous areas near Provence in France, and the vicinity of Grasse, becoming world-renowned tourist destinations.
Newly planted lavender has slow initial growth. As the spring temperature rises, lavender enters the regreening stage in mid-April. To promote branching and root development, artificial pruning should be carried out at the end of April to early May. Trim the top branches that are 15cm or more above the ground, heavily prune the middle part of the plant, and lightly prune the surrounding areas.
In late May, the first batch of lavender flowers enters the budding stage, and in late June, it enters the peak flowering period. In the first year after planting, to promote the growth of lavender seedlings and reduce nutrient consumption, the first batch of flower buds can be removed in early June.
The second batch of flowers enters the budding stage in mid-August and reaches its peak flowering period in mid-September. In favorable autumn weather conditions, the third batch of flowers reaches its peak in mid-October.
For newly planted lavender, there should be sufficient irrigation during the first three years to promote plant establishment. In mid to late April, provide sufficient water during the regreening stage. Throughout the year, water should be applied 6-8 times based on weather conditions and soil moisture.
Pay attention to watering during the budding and flowering periods, ensuring even and thorough watering. Combine each irrigation with timely cultivation to maintain soil moisture, increase temperature, and control weeds. Generally, weed control should be done 5-7 times throughout the year. Provide winter irrigation in early to mid-November.
Although lavender has strong tolerance to poor soil and drought, it requires relatively more water and nutrients after planting to promote establishment and increase yield. For newly planted lavender, early and frequent fertilization is necessary within the first three years.
In conjunction with the first irrigation, apply urea at a rate of 15kg per mu (about 0.07 hectares) and ammonium dihydrogen phosphate at a rate of 10kg per mu. For the second round of fertilization, apply 10kg of urea per mu in manually dug holes beside the plants.
Winter is long and temperatures are low. Field trials have shown that artificial soil burial is necessary to ensure safe overwintering of lavender in the local area. After winter irrigation in early November, trim the branches of lavender that are 15-20cm above the ground and then bury them with soil to a thickness of about 15cm.
This protects the base of the plant from freezing. Pay attention to ensuring that the soil burial is neither too thick nor too thin. In the following spring, before irrigation for regreening, remove the soil covering the plants to prevent rotting of the branches and leaves in the soil.
The ideal harvesting period is during the peak flowering period when approximately 70% of the small flowers in the flower spikes have opened. Harvesting too early or too late can affect the yield. The first harvest is generally from late June to mid-July, and the second harvest is from late September to early October. Yield should be estimated before harvesting.
During harvesting, avoid mixing weeds and excessive stems and leaves, as this may affect the quality of the oil. Harvesting should be done on sunny days after 10:00 a.m. It is not recommended to harvest in the morning when there is heavy dew or on cloudy days. The higher the light intensity and temperature, the higher the oil yield. Avoid excessive stacking during transportation and drying to prevent heat and self-heating. Harvesting and processing should be completed on the same day.
Lavender can be propagated by seed sowing, which is fast, develops a well-established root system, and produces vigorous seedlings. However, there is a high degree of variation, making it suitable for selection and breeding.
Seeds should be selected that are uniform in size, plump, and have a glossy brown color. Before sowing, the seeds should undergo sun-drying, soaking in 30°C warm water for 12-24 hours, and a 5-minute treatment with concentrated sulfuric acid, followed by rinsing with water and air-drying before sowing.
Sowing can be done in April. The minimum germination temperature for lavender seeds is 8-12°C, with the optimal temperature range being 20-25°C. Transplanting can be done in May. However, seed propagation of lavender results in significant variation, and the cost of seeds is relatively high.
Lavender is mainly propagated through stem cuttings, which allows the preservation of superior qualities of the parent plant. Stem cuttings have strong adaptability and can be done in both spring and autumn. Healthy plants without pests and diseases should be selected, and the top buds or tender, non-lignified branches should be used for cuttings.
Remove the bottom two leaves and soak the cuttings in a rooting hormone solution (100 times dilution of “Root Sun”). After treatment, insert the cuttings into a mixture of river sand and rice husk (mixed in a ratio of 2:1) in a 5×10 tray for rooting, which usually takes about 2-3 weeks.
After the cuttings are inserted, place the seedlings in a well-ventilated and cool environment. Keep the soil moist for the first three days, and adjust watering based on weather conditions to ensure that the branches do not wilt or dry up, thereby increasing the survival rate. Cuttings are relatively easy to manage and do not require fertilization throughout the seedling stage, which is commonly practiced in production.
Leaf spot disease: In the case of one-year-old seedlings or cuttings, symptoms include wilting, water loss, and dull leaf color. The top parts of the leaves and branches bend downward and droop, which is most pronounced during the budding stage. Mild cases may recover overnight, while severe cases can lead to death within two to three days, with root rot and glossy brown discoloration in the stem vessels.
In seedlings older than three years, in addition to the symptoms observed in younger seedlings, wilting symptoms gradually develop from the center or edges of the plants, resulting in withered and dead branches, eventually leading to the death of the entire plant.
Generally, the disease occurs from May to August, with the peak in July and August. Preventive measures include spraying Bordeaux mixture at a ratio of 1:200 two to three times, or spraying 500-800 times dilution of fosetyl-Al or zinc dimethyldithiocarbamate.
Root rot and Fusarium wilt: Apply 500 times dilution of 50% carbendazim or 400 times dilution of 50% methyl thiophanate to the roots or spray on the leaves.
Red spider mite: Dilute 1.8% abamectin to 600-1000 times and spray on the leaves, or use acaricides such as trichlorfon for foliar spray.
Leafhoppers and flea beetles: Use pyrethroid insecticides such as 50% fenvalerate emulsion, 50% deltamethrin emulsion, or 12% cypermethrin emulsion for prevention and control.
Lavender offers a multitude of benefits and functions. It has considerable medicinal value and can be used as an ingredient in medicine for its calming, sedative, and antispasmodic effects. In addition, it can be used to brew tea, aiding in digestion. Furthermore, lavender is esteemed for its ecological beauty and its unique cultural significance in the world of botany.
Pharmacological Activity
Lavender has been reported to be used in clinical practices and the cosmetic industry for centuries overseas, mainly in dried or essential oil forms. The entire plant contains 1% to 3% essential oil. The use of lavender for healing dates back to ancient Roman and Greek times. Lavender essential oil remains as widely used as it was in previous centuries. It’s a complex mixture of many different types of aromatic compounds, composed of more than 30 ingredients.
Sedative and Hypnotic Effects
Lavender essential oil is primarily used in aromatherapy or massage. In 1993, Tullamore Hospital in Ireland used a blend of essential oils extracted from rosemary, juniper, lavender, and sweet fennel for improving sleep in the elderly.
In 1995, Graham conducted similar experiments aiming to reduce sleep disturbances and hasten sleep onset in patients. After two weeks of using the essential oil nebulizer, there was a significant increase in the number of patients who reported good sleep at night, and a marked decrease in patients who required a particularly quiet environment to sleep.
Antispasmodic Effects
In addition to its effects on the central nervous system, animal experiments indicate that lavender essential oil also has antispasmodic effects on the ileum and uterine smooth muscle. Its antispasmodic action is not mediated through adrenergic and cholinergic receptors, nor does it act on calcium ion channels, but it functions by increasing intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate levels. Lavender essential oil also has some obstetric uses; for example, adding it to bathwater can help alleviate postpartum pain and discomfort.
Antimicrobial Effects
Lis-Balchin found that lavender essential oil exhibits antimicrobial activity against a variety of bacteria. Linalool is the primary component of lavender oil responsible for its antimicrobial effects, inhibiting the growth of 17 types of bacteria and 10 types of fungi. Both lavender essential oil and its vapor have demonstrated certain antifungal activities.
Lavender extracts of 1% and 10% concentrations can inhibit the germination of Botrytis cinerea spores and spore growth, and they have a stronger inhibitory effect on spore growth than on hyphal growth. The vapor of lavender essential oil can also inhibit the growth of Aspergillus fumigatus, with the necessary dosage being comparable to tea tree oil, but higher than lemongrass oil, cinnamon oil, and thyme oil.
Lipid-Lowering Effects
Researchers have found that lavender extract has the potential to reduce fat levels. Human adipose tissue was cut into small pieces and cultured in a 0.05% collagenase solution, then the extract was added to the culture tubes. The fat degradation rate was (1.12±0.10) mg fat/tube with lavender extract, (2.37±0.18) mg fat/tube with both lavender and fennel extracts, and (0.35±0.09) mg fat/tube for the control tube without extracts.
Lavender has a myriad of uses and benefits. Not only does it possess notable medicinal value, it can be used as a calming and sedative herbal remedy, providing relief from spasms. Its use isn’t limited to medicine; it’s also commonly used to make calming teas which aid in digestion. Additionally, lavender is appreciated for its ecological and aesthetic value, as well as its unique cultural significance within the world of botany.
Pharmacological Activity
For centuries, dried lavender and its essential oil have been used in both the medical and cosmetics industries worldwide. Lavender contains 1% to 3% essential oil and its usage for treating ailments dates back to ancient Roman and Greek times. The essential oil of lavender, still commonly used as it was centuries ago, is a complex mixture of many different aromatic compounds, boasting over 30 individual components.
Sedative and Hypnotic Effects
Lavender essential oil is mainly used in aromatherapy or massage. In 1993, Tullamore General Hospital in Ireland used a mixture of volatile oils extracted from rosemary, juniper, lavender, and sweet fennel in an effort to improve sleep in the elderly. Similarly, in 1995, Graham experimented with the same goal of reducing sleep disturbances and inducing faster sleep in patients. After two weeks of combined use with volatile oil atomization, a significant increase in patients reporting a good night’s sleep was noted, and the number of patients requiring especially quiet surroundings during sleep significantly decreased.
Antispasmodic Effects
In addition to its effects on the central nervous system, animal experiments have shown that lavender essential oil also has an antispasmodic effect on the smooth muscles of the ileum and uterus. Its antispasmodic action is neither through adrenergic and cholinergic receptors nor by acting on calcium ion channels, but by increasing the level of cyclic adenosine monophosphate inside cells. Lavender essential oil also finds some applications in obstetrics, such as in bathwater, where it can alleviate postpartum pain and discomfort.
Antibacterial Effects
Lis-Balchin found that lavender essential oil has activity against a variety of bacteria. Linalool, a major component of lavender essential oil, has been shown to inhibit the growth of 17 types of bacteria and 10 types of fungi. Both lavender essential oil and its vapors have demonstrated antifungal activity. Lavender extracts at 1% and 10% were able to inhibit the germination of conidiospores and the growth of germ tubes of Botrytis cinerea, with a more potent effect on germ tubes than on mycelium. The vapor of lavender essential oil can also inhibit the growth of Aspergillus fumigatus, with a required dosage comparable to that of tea tree oil, but higher than lemongrass oil, cinnamon oil, and thyme oil.
Lipid-lowering Effects
In one study, human adipose tissue was cut into small pieces and cultured in a 0.05% collagenase solution. Extracts were then added to the culture tubes. The rate of fat degradation with lavender extract was (1.12+0.10) mg fat/culture tube, and with lavender and fennel extracts was (2.37+0.18) mg fat/tube, while the control tube without extract was (0.35+0.09) mg fat/tube.
Lavender Tea
Lavender tea is made from dried buds. A tablespoon of buds is steeped in boiling water for just 5 minutes to create a delicious drink, even without the addition of honey or sugar. This tea is side-effect free and offers many benefits including a calming effect, relief from digestive spasms, a refreshing sensation, easing of bloating, aiding digestion, preventing nausea and dizziness, alleviating anxiety and migraines, and warding off colds. Drinking it can also aid recovery when experiencing hoarseness or voice loss, hence its moniker, “office workers’ best companion.”
Dietary Recommendations: Generally, it is safe for everyone to consume, with a suggested amount of 2 to 3 grams per serving. However, people with low blood pressure should use in moderation to avoid drowsiness. Lavender powder, being a uterine stimulant, should be avoided in early pregnancy.
Lavender’s ability to inhibit bacteria, balance sebum secretion, and soothe the skin makes it a great addition to facial cleansing products. By incorporating lavender extract into soap and facial cleansers, and applying cold sterilization and issofree technology, products such as lavender soap and facial cleansers are created.
Face Mask: Mix 10g of lavender powder with water, egg white, or milk to form a paste. Apply evenly to the face, leave on for 20 minutes, then rinse off.
Facial Steaming: Prior to applying a face mask, steam your face to open the pores for better absorption. At this time, sprinkle about 10g of lavender powder into the steaming device. The aroma is calming, the experience relaxing, and the steam both soothes nerves and nourishes the skin.
Bath: Sprinkle about 5g of lavender powder into a bathtub. It will help tighten the skin all over your body, supply nutrients, provide a fragrant body treatment, and relieve stress.
Lavender plants, with their many species, have a high ecological and aesthetic value. The low-lying plants are a gray-purple color all year round, hardy, and tolerant of pruning. Their beautiful leaf and flower colors are elegantly graceful. Lavender can be used to create a specialized aromatic botanical garden that integrates greenery, beautification, color, and fragrance. It offers visual enjoyment and air purification.
In European tradition, lavender seems naturally linked to love, as numerous love legends and folk customs involve this plant. “Lavender signifies true love” is a representative lyric poem from the Elizabethan era. The flower language of lavender is “waiting for love. Lavender signifies a subtle declaration of love, a steadfast commitment.
Peggie was once a high school mathematics teacher, but she set aside her chalkboard and textbooks to follow her lifelong passion for flowers. After years of dedication and learning, she not only established a thriving flower shop but also founded this blog, “Flowers Library”. If you have any questions or wish to learn more about flowers, feel free to contact Peggie.
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