White lavender" is just like regular purple lavender in most ways, but its flowers are white! It's usually a type of English lavender (the Lavandula angustifolia kind, which is great for many things).
Shop this post
Bring the lavender idea from this article into your home with these Island Lavender favorites.
Here's what white lavender is most commonly used for, explained for beginners:
-
Making Your Garden Look Beautiful (Ornamental):
-
Pretty White Flowers: The most obvious use! White lavender adds a really clean, elegant look to your garden. It stands out nicely against green plants or other colorful flowers, creating a fresh, sophisticated vibe.
-
Borders and Edges: Because many white English lavenders stay a neat, tidy size, they're perfect for lining a pathway, marking the edge of a flower bed, or creating a small, pretty hedge.
-
Attracts Bees and Butterflies: Just like purple lavender, white lavender is a magnet for pollinators. If you want to help out the bees and butterflies, this is a great plant!
-
Hardy and Easy-ish: English lavenders are generally quite tough and can handle cold winters, which is good for beginners in many areas. They don't need a lot of fuss once they're established, as long as they get plenty of sun and don't sit in soggy soil.
-
-
Making Things Smell Nice (Aromatic/Fragrance):
-
Calming Scent: White English lavender has that lovely, sweet, classic lavender smell. This scent is known for being relaxing and can help you feel calmer or even sleep better.
-
Sachets and Potpourri: When the flowers dry, they keep their scent for a long time. You can put them in small fabric bags (sachets) to make drawers smell good, or mix them with other dried plants for potpourri.
-
Fresh Cut Flowers: Snip a few stems and put them in a small vase indoors to enjoy the fresh scent.
-
-
Cooking and Baking (Culinary - YES!):
-
It's Edible! This is really important: because white lavender is typically English lavender, it's safe and delicious for cooking. Its flavor is sweet and floral, not bitter or like medicine.
-
Sweet Treats: It's fantastic in baking! Think lavender shortbread cookies, lavender lemonade, lavender ice cream, or a subtle floral note in cakes.
-
Savory Dishes: You can also use it in savory cooking, like in herb blends for roasted chicken or vegetables.
-
How to Use: Just pick a few fresh white flowers or dry them. Remember, a little goes a long way with lavender flavor!
-
-
Crafts:
-
Dried Bouquets: The white flowers look beautiful in dried flower arrangements.
-
Wreaths and Decorations: Use dried stems to make small wreaths or other decorative items for your home.
-
In short, for beginners: If you have white lavender (which is usually a type of English lavender), you can use it just like you would common purple English lavender. It's great for making your garden look beautiful, adding a calming scent to your home, and it's especially good for cooking and baking because of its sweet, pleasant flavor!