Differentiating between true lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) and lavandin hybrids (Lavandula x intermedia) is key for gardeners, essential oil enthusiasts, and anyone visiting a lavender farm. While they share a family resemblance, their distinct characteristics impact everything from their scent and therapeutic uses to their growth habits and suitability for various climates, including places like Door County WI. If you're looking to buy lavender online from a site like islandlavender.com, understanding these differences is crucial.
Quick answer
True lavender is Lavandula angustifolia, while lavandin is usually a hybrid known as Lavandula x intermedia. Lavandin often grows larger with longer stems and a stronger, more camphor-like scent.
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People also ask
What is true lavender?
True lavender usually refers to Lavandula angustifolia, the classic English lavender used for fragrance, gardens, and many lavender products.
What is lavandin?
Lavandin is a hybrid lavender that often grows larger and produces more oil, with a stronger scent that can seem sharper or more camphorous.
How can I tell true lavender from lavandin?
Look at plant size, stem length, flower form, and scent. Lavandin is often taller and more vigorous, while true lavender is often softer and more compact.
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Here's a breakdown of how to tell them apart:
1. Plant Size and Growth Habit:
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True Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia): These are generally smaller, more compact plants, forming neat, rounded mounds. They typically grow to about 1 to 3 feet tall and wide, depending on the cultivar. Their growth is often described as more delicate and less vigorous. You'll usually see single flower spikes arising from the foliage.
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Lavandin Hybrids (Lavandula x intermedia): Lavandins are significantly larger and more robust plants. They are vigorous growers, often forming broad, bushy mounds that can reach 2 to 4 feet tall and wide, or even larger. Their growth is often described as "hedge-like." A key visual cue for lavandins is that their flower stems often have multiple flower heads branching off the main stem, creating a denser, fuller bloom display. This is a primary reason for their higher yield in commercial lavender farm operations.
2. Flower Spikes:
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True Lavender: The flower spikes are typically slender, shorter, and more delicate. The individual flowers are tightly clustered, giving the spike a dense, "pencil-thin" or "bottle brush" appearance. The flowers usually appear directly from the main stem without many lateral branches.
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Lavandin Hybrids: Lavandin flower spikes are noticeably longer, thicker, and more substantial than those of true lavender. They often have a conical shape and are held on longer, sturdier stems that rise well above the foliage. As mentioned, the presence of lateral flower spikes branching off the main stem is a strong indicator of lavandin.
3. Foliage (Leaves):
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True Lavender: The leaves are generally narrower and often a more muted, silvery-gray-green. They tend to be finer in texture.
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Lavandin Hybrids: Lavandin leaves are typically broader and longer than English lavender leaves. Their color is often a slightly brighter gray-green, and they can appear coarser in texture.
4. Scent and Essential Oil Characteristics:
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True Lavender: The scent is generally sweeter, softer, and more floral. Its essential oil is rich in linalool and linalyl acetate, known for their calming, relaxing, and soothing properties. It has a very low camphor content (typically 0-0.6%). This is the oil sought after for fine perfumery and therapeutic aromatherapy for relaxation and sleep.
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Lavandin Hybrids: The scent is stronger, more pungent, and noticeably more camphoraceous or herbaceous, often with a hint of eucalyptus. This is due to a higher concentration of camphor (6-10%) and 1,8-cineole. While still beneficial, lavandin oil is more stimulating and often used in cleaning products, soaps, and insect repellents, and for invigorating or muscle-soothing purposes. It also yields significantly more essential oil per plant, making it more cost-effective for large-scale production.
5. Bloom Time:
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True Lavender: Generally blooms earlier in the season, typically from late spring to mid-summer.
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Lavandin Hybrids: Tend to flower later than true lavender, usually from mid to late summer, often extending the overall lavender bloom season at a lavender farm.
By paying attention to these visual and olfactory cues, you can confidently distinguish between true lavender and lavandin hybrids. This knowledge is invaluable whether you're cultivating your own fragrant garden in Door County WI or looking to buy lavender online from a trusted source like islandlavender.com for specific uses.