There are several varieties of lavender plants, each of which provide distinct features and uses.
Most lavender plants have evergreen foliage, are drought tolerant, deer and rabbit resistant, and prefer dry, loose soil. There are a range of flower colors including white, pink, purple, and indigo. There are also noticeable differences in the foliage shapes and colors, which varies from vivid green to silver. The main varieties of lavender are as follows:
- Common Angustifolia Lavender (English Lavender): Fragrant, semi-evergreen with blue-green foliage, grows 2-3 feet, produces great oil, early season bloomer: late spring to mid summer, preferred variety for culinary purposes.
- Lavandula x Intermedia (Lavinden): Hybrid cross between English lavender and Portuguese lavender, late blooms in July through late summer, fragrant and used for oils but not as high of quality as English varieties, larger with more flowers than English lavender, grey-green foliage.
- Stoechas (Spanish Lavender): Also known as Butterfly lavender, has showy flower heads with “rabbit ear" petals springing from the top of the flower head, less hardy than other varieties but more tolerant of humidity, long bloom season from mid spring to late summer, attracts butterflies and bees, silvery foliage that has a strong scent of its own.
- Lavandula dentata (French Lavender): Flowers are not as fragrant, but the foliage is. Blooms are very colorful and make a great ornamental plant for garden walkways and pots. Foliage has needle-like toothed leaves and is grey-green with a wooly texture, blooms early summer to fall.
