Spanish Lavender Care Guide: Thrive with This Mint Family Gem

Spanish Lavender, a semi-cold-tolerant small shrub from the mint family, originally grows at elevations of 1800 meters in southern Spain. It thrives in full sun and is unaffected by the intense summer sunlight.

This lavender variety has purple-red corolla and purple-brown calyx. It blooms from February to May in flat areas and from April to October in mid-high altitude mountain areas.

The uniquely shaped flowers, surrounded by persistent bracts after wilting, are often made into dried flowers for their beautiful fragrance and appearance.

I. Basic Introduction

Spanish Lavender is a semi-cold-tolerant small shrub from the mint family. It blooms from February to May in flat areas and from April to October in mid-high altitude mountain areas.

The flowers, with their unique shape and persistent bracts after wilting, are often made into dried flowers for their beautiful fragrance and appearance. The plant prefers full sun, even in intense summer sunlight.

Maintain slight dampness during the growing period, water only when the planting material is slightly dry. It has moderate cold tolerance and prefers temperatures between 5℃ – 10℃.

II. Growth and Distribution

Northwestern areas

III. Characteristics and Features

Spanish Lavender (Lavendula stoechas) characteristics:

• A semi-cold-tolerant small shrub from the mint family, blooms from February to May in flat areas and from April to October in mid-high altitude mountain areas. The flowers, with their unique shape and persistent bracts after wilting, are often made into dried flowers for their beautiful fragrance and appearance.
  
• The most captivating part of the Spanish Lavender, which has small bunny-like ears, is its flower cluster. The chubby cluster is made up of overlapping broad bracts, filled in the middle with fluff. The tiny purple-black flowers peeping out from the gaps seem rather shy.
  
• Its most significant feature is the bunny ears at the end of the flower cluster, a specialized result of the bracts meant to attract insects. Depending on the variety, there are changes in blue, purple, peach red, pink, white, and gradient colors. The size of the bracts can vary depending on the climate, nutritional condition, and variety. The bracts turn into cute mini bunny-like ears, which are so very adorable!
  
• The plant prefers full sun, even in intense summer sunlight. Maintain slight dampness during the growing period, water only when the planting material is slightly dry. It has moderate cold tolerance and prefers temperatures between 5℃ – 10℃.

IV. Living Habits

Light-loving plant

Prefers light, avoids high temperature and humidity

V. Value and Others

Main Value

Landscape use: Fragrance, flower bed

Commercial use: Essential oil production, bath fragrance