For essential oil use, certain lavender varieties are highly favored for their unique chemical compositions, which dictate the quality, aroma, and therapeutic properties of the extracted oil. While all lavenders contain essential oils, specific types are cultivated on a larger scale due to their yield and the desirable characteristics of their oil.
Here are the most popular lavender varieties specifically used for essential oil production:
1. Lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia): Lavandins are hybrids, a cross between English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) and spike lavender (Lavandula latifolia). They are the most widely cultivated type of lavender globally for commercial essential oil production due to their superior yield and vigorous growth.
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Characteristics: Lavandins are larger plants than English lavenders, producing significantly more flower spikes and thus more essential oil per acre. Their oil yield can be two to three times higher than that of English lavender. The aroma of lavandin oil is typically stronger, more camphoraceous, and herbaceous than English lavender, owing to higher levels of compounds like camphor and 1,8-cineole.
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Most Popular Cultivars for Oil:
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'Grosso': This is by far the most dominant lavandin variety for essential oil. 'Grosso' is a very large and robust plant with long, dark violet flower spikes. Its high oil yield and strong, clean scent make it ideal for mass production. The oil is extensively used in soaps, detergents, perfumes, and other industrial fragrances.
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'Provence': Another popular lavandin, 'Provence' offers a softer, more traditional lavender aroma than 'Grosso' while still providing excellent yields. It's often used for cut flowers as well.
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'Super': Known for its high oil content and a pleasing, strong aroma, 'Super' is another significant lavandin cultivar for oil extraction.
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2. English Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia): Often referred to as "True Lavender," "Common Lavender," or "Fine Lavender," Lavandula angustifolia is esteemed for producing the highest quality and most therapeutically valuable essential oil. While its oil yield per plant is lower than that of lavandins, its oil commands a higher price due to its superior chemical profile and delicate fragrance.
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Characteristics: The essential oil from L. angustifolia is characterized by its sweet, delicate, purely floral, and subtly herbaceous aroma, with very low levels of camphor. It is rich in linalool and linalyl acetate, compounds known for their calming, soothing, and relaxing properties. This oil is the preferred choice for aromatherapy, direct topical application (when properly diluted), and culinary uses.
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Most Popular Cultivars for Oil:
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'Maillette': A distinguished French cultivar specifically developed for its excellent essential oil quality and relatively good yield within the angustifolia species. Its oil has a beautifully balanced and classic lavender aroma.
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'Vera': Considered by many to be the quintessential "true" lavender for essential oil, 'Vera' provides a very pure, traditional lavender aroma. Its oil is highly prized for its therapeutic benefits.
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'Mont Blanc': A more compact variety of English lavender that still yields high-quality oil with a traditional sweet lavender scent.
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'Folgate': A cold-hardy variety that produces good quality oil with a pleasant fragrance.
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3. Spike Lavender (Lavandula latifolia): While less common for pure essential oil production than L. angustifolia or lavandin, spike lavender produces an essential oil with distinct characteristics that serve specific purposes.
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Characteristics: Spike lavender oil is notably high in 1,8-cineole and camphor, giving it a strong, medicinal, and pungent aroma. It lacks the sweet, floral notes found in English lavender.
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Uses: Due to its stimulating chemical profile, spike lavender oil is often used for respiratory support, in topical muscle rubs, and in products where a more invigorating effect is desired. It is not typically used for relaxation aromatherapy or in fine perfumery.
In summary, for large-scale essential oil production where high yield and a robust, camphoraceous aroma are priorities, Lavandin (especially 'Grosso') is the most popular choice. However, for the purest, most therapeutically valuable, and most traditionally sweet-smelling "true lavender" essential oil, English Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia, with cultivars like 'Maillette' or 'Vera') is the preferred option, despite its lower yield. Spike lavender offers a unique, camphor-rich oil for specialized applications.