Nature talk: Luxurious lavender

Text And Photographs By Zahrah Nasir

July 19th, 2009

The quintessential favourite English garden plant, commonly known as lavender, does not originate from that country at all but is mostly of Mediterranean, including North African, extraction with some species being found on the Arabian peninsula and also in India.

The latter may come as quite a surprise to the countless gardeners who have tried, and failed, to grow this fragrant shrub in the `lowlands` of Pakistan.

Tales of lavender scented woe are common fare from Karachi to Islamabad which, as we know, have quite diverse climatic and soil conditions but gardeners, being a breed apart, will go to any length possible to grow the plant of their choice whatever the hazards involved and I know of desperate lavender loving ladies who have brought young lavender plants, carefully wrapped in their luggage, back from UK, Switzerland, Canada and America to name but a few countries and all, without fail, have watched their precious seedlings slowly fade away to nothing in Pakistani growing conditions.

The problem appears to be that when people think of lavender they promptly opt for `Lavandula angustifolia`…. English lavender instead of `Lavandula stoechas` which is referred to as French, Spanish or Italian lavender, depending on its source.

The major differences between the two species are in the flower shape and the all important growing conditions. All lavenders need a sunny location and very well drained soil if they are to thrive; all are perennial and evergreen but this is where the similarities end.

`Lavandula angustifolia`, the so-called English species, has narrow flower spikes of pink, blue, mauve or white flowers arranged compactly or at relatively close intervals along its length. Often found at high elevations in Southern Europe this species prefers a relatively cool climate — although, having written this, I must also add that, in summer, the Mediterranean region can be far from cool — and neutral to rather alkaline soil. It flowers throughout the summer in suitable climates.

`Lavandula stoechas` on the other hand is not so hardy, requires warmer conditions and acidic soil types and its flowers, in the same beautiful hues as `angustifolia`, are arranged in short, dense spikes topped by eye catching bracts. They much prefer drought to plenty, and overly wet conditions are a common reason for loss of lavender plants as they are prone to damp related fungal infections and tend to wilt with over watering. High humidity combined with salt, as in Karachi during summer, is not something lavender of any kind enjoys but there is a way round this which I will explain later.

`Angustifolia` and `stoechas` are both considered to be excellent sources of top quality perfume oil and are extensively cultivated in France, Spain and Italy for just this reason and they also top the list as species of medicinal plants.

South African plant species seem to take readily to the plains in Pakistan. A species called `Lavandula x allardii` is cultivated on a large scale in South Africa for their own indigenous perfume industry, so it may perform equally well here. This particular species, also known as `Giant lavender`, is a hybrid between `L.dentata` and `L.latifolia` and has stunning flower spikes up to eight inches long.

`L.dentata` or `fringed lavender` is native to the Arabian Peninsula and North Africa. Although not quite as fragrant as `L.angustifolia` and `L.stoechas` it is well worth trying here. `L.lanata` or `Wooly lavender`, `L.minutolii`, `L.pinnata`, and `L.viridis` or `Green lavender` should be avoided as, being indigenous to places such as Madeira and the Canary Islands, are unlikely to perform well here although `L.multifida` or `Branched lavender` just may.

Lavender has so many cosmetic and medicinal uses that it is hard to know where to begin listing them. Suffice to say that the flowers are used in tonic waters for sensitive skins and as an antiseptic against acne; the oil is used in the perfumery industry and added to soap; dried flowers are made into sachets to repel insects and also used in potpourri as well as in dried flower arrangements. Amongst its medicinal uses is applying the pure oil to insect bites and stings for fast relief, using a single drop of essential oil on the forehead to cure headaches and adding to massage oil for use in aromatherapy.

Growing lavender is not at all difficult and it can be propagated either from seed or through cuttings.
Seed should be as fresh as possible for optimum germination and is best sown during late summer and autumn though an early spring sowing does quite well in cool climate areas. Sow the seed thinly, just under the surface of good, well draining compost, keep moist but not soaking wet or else the seeds may rot, and place the seed trays/pots in a place which gets lots of sunshine for at least half of the day. Germination should start after approximately 10 – 14 days but can be sporadic so please be patient. Seedlings should be transplanted — handle with care as they can be brittle and easily break — when they are 1 – 2 inches tall and either grown singly in 7 or 10 inch pots until they are strong enough for planting directly in prepared ground or, and this can be best in our climate, cultivated simply as pot plants so that watering requirements can be strictly monitored. If planting them in the ground, a well drained rockery is a good location for them. Plants in the ground should be spaced at a distance of two feet apart all round, more if the variety is a large growing one.

Stem cuttings, about six inches in length, can be taken from established plants in early spring or autumn and the survival rate will be better if you dip the ends in rooting powder prior to inserting in pots/trays of prepared compost.
Lavender is multiplied by the tissue culture method in the valleys of Indian held Kashmir where it is grown for their perfumery and cosmetic industries as well as for use in homeopathic medicines but this method is not recommended on a home scale due to the laboratory supplies required.

Now, back to Indian lavender cultivation `L.officinalis` is the species of choice there and this grows well in India, Indonesia and Australia, but if you look up this particular one you are quite liable to find it also listed as `L.spica`, `L.vera` or `L.angustifolia`!

Now, right at the beginning of this article I recommended against `L.angustifolia` which is very confusing I`m sure as, if it grows well in places such as Bangalore then why not in Karachi? Frankly speaking, there is so much confusion about species of lavender and their correct names that even I am not certain that `L.officinalis` and `L.angustifolia` are one and the same thing but….what I can say and do recommend, other than `L.stoechas` of course, is growing `L.hybrida` from early autumn sown seed as this can  flower in as little as four months from planting.

If this doesn`t slake your passion for lavender then there is one last, very different, very large, option which is `Burseraceae delpechina` or `Linaloe` otherwise known as the `Indian lavender tree` and which was introduced there from Mexico back in the 1920s!

1. Lavandula angustifolia or `English` lavender.

2. Lavandula stoechas or `French` lavender
3. Or `Italian` lavender
4. Or `Spanish` lavender

Please continue sending your gardening queries to

zahrahnasir@hotmail.com. Remember to include your location. Answers to selected questions will appear in a future issue of this magazine. This takes time. The writer will not respond directly by e-mail. E-mails with attachments will not be opened.