Description
Lavandula (Lavender) la-VAN-dew-la
The genus Lavandula contains a couple of dozen species of aromatic, evergreen shrubs and subshrubs that are cultivated for their spikes of fragrant, tubular flowers on the end of long stalks. They hail from dry, sunny, rocky areas of the Mediterranean, Africa, Asia, and India. Leaves are small, densely clustered, and often grayish green. Grow lavender in a border, rock garden, as edging or hedging, or in containers. Flowers and leaves can be dried for a variety of uses.
Lavandula is very aromatic; spikes of fragrant flowers which attract bees and butterflies. Prune in early spring by cutting back flowering shoots to within an inch of the previous year’s growth, and then prune again lightly after flowering ends.
