The Anatomy of Lavender

The 1800s were a period of intense interest in the the natural world.  As the scientific community's energetic pursuit to understand and classify living organisms took botanists and biologists to the farthest reaches of the earth, the discipline of taxonomy took shape.  Taxonomy is the science of describing, naming and classifying groups of biological organisms based on shared characteristics.  Standardizing how we organize and label the living world brought us the systematic terminology we are accustomed today when discussing animals and plants and lavender...

In daily vernacular we use the word "lavender" to describe a community of plants that is wildly diverse in terms of color, flower shape, foliage color and shape, blooming time, etc.  While commonly used terms have their useful place, in the case of lavender it rather sells the breadth of its diversity short.

Have you ever considered the plant that lies beyond the name "lavender"?  Each variety of this unique community of plants has its own particular name just as each part of the plant has its own name.  The classification and anatomy of lavender is a rich trove in and of its self.

Join us out in the fields for a little botanical lesson of some of the varieties of lavender we grow.

A brief walk through the fields with garden scissors in hand yields a wealth of specimens of the genus Lavandula.  The Latin name Lavandula broadly stems from the ancient use of lavender in bathing.  Derived from the word lavare (Latin) meaning "to wash", it has been associated with the act of cleansing the body, linens and the home for millennia.  There are roughly 40 species and over 400 varieties of Lavandula - we have selected just a few to focus on.

Before we look at the specific anatomy of lavender, let's take a moment to discuss it's scientific name.  It's quite possible that on trip to the grocery store or hardware store you have seen lavender plants for sale.  Unfortunately, it's also quite possible that the labels on those plants just read "lavender".  While technically true, such generalization may not be helpful to the keen gardener.

We always recommend sourcing lavender from a reputable nursery that accurately labels its plants with their full, scientific name.  Scientific naming conventions may look intimidating, but they are quite easy to understand once you understand their structure.

How to read scientific plant names

Genus

The genus always comes first. You may see it spelled out in its entirety (Lavandula) or abbreviated with the first letter capitalized followed by a period (L.).  It is often italicized.

Species

The species name follows the genus. You will likely see it italicized and the first letter not capitalized.  If you see the species name preceded by an "x" it signifies this plant is a hybrid or cross between two different species.  For example Lavandula x intermedia is a cross between Lavandula angustifolia and Lavandula latifolia.

Variety or Varietal

The name of the plant variety is always last.  You may see it in quotes and it is usually capitalized as a proper name.

 

The Anatomy of Lavender

As mentioned, lavender is wildly diverse in appearance.  Flower color ranges from white to pink and every shade of purple imaginable, and foliage color ranges from vibrant grass green to dusty gray.  The shape and size of the flowerheads are as unique as is their corresponding foliage shape.  

That being said, we have selected two varieties of the angustifolia and stoechas species to detail their various parts with both botanical and common namings.

We hope this brief botanical lesson has been helpful to you and will deepen your appreciation for the lavender in your own garden.

There are few things better then spending the day in the garden or field and talking about plants.  If you have any specific questions about lavender or growing it in your own garden, please ask away in the comments below.  We could talk about lavender all day long!