"White lavender" generally refers to varieties of English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) that produce white flowers instead of the more common purple or pink ones. These cultivars often have names like 'Alba', 'Nana Alba' (dwarf white), or 'White Provence'.
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Bring the lavender idea from this article into your home with these Island Lavender favorites.
Because white lavender is typically a cultivar of English lavender, its uses are largely the same as its purple counterparts, with a few nuances:
Primary Uses of White Lavender:
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Culinary:
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Excellent for cooking and baking: Just like purple English lavender, white varieties have a sweet, delicate, purely floral flavor with very low camphor content. This makes them ideal for infusing into desserts (ice cream, shortbread, cakes), beverages (lemonade, tea), savory dishes (herbes de Provence, roasted meats), and sugars or syrups.
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Visual Appeal: The white flowers offer a beautiful aesthetic contrast in dishes, especially when paired with other colors or used to create a sophisticated, minimalist look.
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Aromatherapy and Medicinal:
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Relaxation and Calming: The essential oil derived from white English lavender shares the same calming, soothing, and stress-reducing properties as purple English lavender. It's used in diffusers, bath products, massage oils, and linen sprays to promote relaxation, improve sleep, and alleviate anxiety.
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Skin and Healing: Like other Lavandula angustifolia varieties, it has antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, and soothing properties, making it beneficial for skin conditions, minor burns, insect bites, and general skin care products.
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Ornamental Gardening:
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Visual Contrast: This is one of the most popular reasons to grow white lavender. It provides a striking contrast against purple lavender varieties and other colorful perennials in garden beds, borders, and rock gardens. It creates a crisp, elegant, and sophisticated look.
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Hedges and Edging: Its compact growth habit (especially dwarf white varieties) makes it excellent for creating low hedges or defining garden edges.
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Pollinator Attraction: White lavender, like other lavenders, is a magnet for bees, butterflies, and other beneficial pollinators, making it a great addition to pollinator gardens.
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Drought Tolerance and Low Maintenance: Once established, it is very hardy, drought-tolerant, and generally low-maintenance, thriving in full sun and well-drained soil.
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Deer and Rabbit Resistance: Its strong scent tends to deter deer and rabbits, making it a good companion plant.
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Crafts and Home Decor:
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Dried Flowers: White lavender dries beautifully, retaining its color and fragrance. It's perfect for dried bouquets, wreaths, potpourri, sachets for drawers, and lavender wands.
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Home Fragrance: The dried flowers or essential oil can be used to make candles, soaps, and other scented home goods.
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Bouquets: Fresh white lavender stems add an elegant touch to floral arrangements.
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In essence, if you encounter "white lavender," assume it possesses the same desirable qualities (culinary, aromatic, ornamental) as the more common purple English lavender, but with the added benefit of its unique, eye-catching color.