When it comes to the strongest lavender scent, you're generally looking at two main categories:
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Lavandins (Lavandula x intermedia): These are hybrids between English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) and Spike lavender (Lavandula latifolia). They are known for their vigorous growth, larger size, and high essential oil content, which translates to a very strong, often more camphorous (medicinal/herbaceous) fragrance. Many of the lavenders grown for commercial oil production are lavandins.
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'Grosso': This is one of the most famous and widely planted lavandin varieties for its incredibly strong fragrance and high oil yield. It's often described as a bold, classic lavender scent with distinct camphor notes.
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'Provence': Another popular lavandin, often used in sachets and for dried arrangements due to its strong, classic lavender aroma.
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'Phenomenal': A relatively newer lavandin that is also highly praised for its strong fragrance and resilience.
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'Edelweiss': A white-flowered lavandin noted for its strong scent.
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English Lavenders (Lavandula angustifolia): While generally having a sweeter, more floral, and less camphorous scent than lavandins, some English lavender varieties are still very strongly scented and prized for their traditional "true lavender" aroma. These are often preferred for culinary uses due to their lower camphor content.
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'Hidcote': A very popular English lavender with a rich, sweet, and strong fragrance, known for its dark purple flowers.
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'Munstead': Another classic English lavender, compact and highly fragrant, with a sweet aroma.
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'Royal Velvet': Known for its deep purple flowers and strong, sweet scent, excellent for drying and fresh bouquets.
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In summary:
If you are looking for the absolute strongest, most potent lavender scent, especially one with a noticeable camphor note (which is often associated with the classic "lavender" smell in cleaning products or essential oils), Lavandins like 'Grosso' or 'Provence' are typically considered the most fragrant.
If you prefer a strong, but sweeter and less camphorous, classic lavender scent, then highly fragrant English lavenders like 'Hidcote' or 'Munstead' are excellent choices.