Plant Study
Lavender
English Family Name: Mint
Latin Family Name: Lamiaceae/Labiatae
Latin Name: Lavandula angustifolia
(Also Known As): Lavandula officinalis, Lavandula vera
Common Names: Lavender
Former Names: Ancient Greeks called Lavender “Nardus” or “Nard” from the Syrian city of Naarda.
Related Species: Lavandula dentata is commonly called French or Spanish Lavender and is used in perfumes.
Body System Affiliations:
1. Nervous System
2. Digestive System
3. Skin
4. First-Aid
Botanical Description:
Habit: Perennial shrub
Size: Grows 1-3 ft high
Arrangement: Leaves are oppositely arranged, flowers are whorled.
Leaves: Leaves are narrow, silvery-grey, and evergreen and have a downy underside. They grow up to 2 inches in length, are linear, oppositely arranged and smooth edged.
Flowers: Produced on terminating 6-8 inch spikes and growing in whorls of 6-8 flowers, the flowers grow from within the calyx which is purple-grey, tubular and veined. The small flowers themselves are purple-blue and have four stamens and a tubular corolla with two lips.
Bark: The base of the plant is a woody, crooked stem with yellowish-grey bark that comes off in flakes.
Twigs: The upper portion of the plant consists of terminating, herbaceous, quadrangular, hollow and straight stalks or branches.
Underground Parts: Root system
Ecology:
Habitat: Lavender grows best in full sun and in sandy soil at high altitudes. It prefers good drainage and freedom from dampness in winter.
Range: Lavender has been cultivated all over the world.
Native Location: Is indigenous to the mountainous regions of the countries bordering the western side of the Mediterranean.
Places/Dates Observed/Description: I have Lavender growing in my garden where it is exposed to full sun, is in fairly sandy soil but has poor drainage. I have observed sickliness in my plant during wet seasons but this is remedied when the warmer seasons come back.
Western Uses/Relationships:
Food: Lavender flowers yield abundant nectar which produces a high quality honey. They can also be candied and are used as cake decoration (2). All types of Lavender oil are used as flavorings in some fruit flavored foods such as dairy desserts, gelatins, puddings and candy. It is sometimes used to flavor black tea and where it is grown, it is a popular addition to salads (4).
Materials/Technology: Fresh and dried flowers are used in potpourris and sachets to give fragrance and to keep insects away (2). The oil is used in perfumes, soaps and other toiletries (4).
Medicine:
Parts Used: Flowers and Essential oil
Medicinal Actions: Carminative, sedative nervine, antispasmodic, anti-depressant, circulatory stimulant, analgesic, antiseptic (3:73).
Indications: Headache, depression, insomnia, anxiety, nausea, colic, indigestion, skin irritation, inflammation, burns, bites, and wounds (4).
Body System Associations: Nervous system, digestive system, skin
Constituents: Volatile oil, tannins, coumarins, flavonoids, triterpenoids (3:73).
Applications: Flowers: infusion, tincture; Essential oil: cream/lotion, massage oil, oil, chest rub (3:73).
Preparation: Flowers: harvest and dry, infuse with hot water, steep in alcohol and water for tincture; Essential oil: harvest flowers, boil water beneath the flowers to collect oil by evaporation and condensation (1).
Pharmacy: Tincture: take up to 5 ml twice a day; essential oil: apply undiluted to insect bites, add to cream, water or carrier oil for other external use (3:73).
Other: During the height of the plague, glove makers would scent their leathers with Lavender oil to ward off the plague, effective because fleas spreading the plague were repelled by Lavender (2).
Cautions: External use of Lavender oil may cause dermatitis in some individuals. Do not use high doses during pregnancy as it acts as a uterine stimulant (3:73).
Indigenous and Non-Western Uses/Relationships: None Found
Propagation:
Technique: May be grown from seed or more frequently from cuttings and division of roots. Cuttings are taken by pulling the small branches down with a quick movement so that they become detached with the desired “heel” at their base (1).
Timing: Sow seeds in April. Cuttings with a root or heel may be inserted in free, sandy soil in August and September and planted during the following spring (1).
Harvest:
Plant Part: Flowers and stalks
Season of Harvest: End of July, early August
Method of Harvest: Cut stalks 6-9 inches below the flowers. If possible take all cuttings in a week.
Ecological Considerations of Harvest: None Found
Cultural Considerations of Harvest: None Found
Cautions: Only harvest when the weather is dry and there is no wind as these conditions negatively affect the quality of the essential oil (1).
Personal Experience:
Food: None
Materials/Technology: None
Medicine:
Part Used: Flowers
Desired Medicinal Action: Mental calming
Targeted Indications: A feeling of anxiety and unrest
Harvest:
Site Location: Bellingham, WA
Site Description: My herb garden: slightly sandy soil, full sun, flat land, poor drainage, good condition, no major animal activity, no human activity, harvest time
Technique: I cut the stalks in late July
Processing: I dried the stalks and flowers; took flowers from stalks when dry but still fragrant
Storage: I tied the stalks together and hung upside-down; upon removing, I stored the flowers in a glass jar in a cabinet
Experience: It was very easy to dry
Application/Preparation/Pharmacy:
Applications: I used the flowers in black tea and in my dream pillow
Preparation: I added the lavender to my tea leaves and to my herbal dream pillow
Pharmacy: I added 1/8 C Lavender to 1 C tea leaves; ½ C Lavender to 1C of various dried herbs
Reason/Purpose: I was in search of a gentle and calmative herb to use at both day and night
Experience: I love Lavender! I love having the little bit of relaxant in my morning caffeinated tea and I love having the scent to lull me to sleep.
Other Notes of Interest: Lavender was used by the Romans as a bath scent, hence the name Lavender, from the Latin word lavare meaning “to wash” (4).
Cautions: External use of Lavender oil may cause dermatitis in some individuals. Do not use high doses during pregnancy as it acts as a uterine stimulant (3:73).
Works Cited:
1. Grieve, Maud. “Lavender.” A Modern Herbal. New York, New York: Dover Publications Inc., 1971. Online at <http://botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/l/lavend13.html>. Web Published 1995. Visited 17 Feb, 2006.
2. “Lavender.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Online at <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lavender&oldid=41986146>. Updated 6 Feb, 2006. Visited 17 Feb, 2006
3. Ody, Penelope. The Complete Medicinal Herbal. New York, New York: Dorling Kindersley Inc., 1993.
4. Willowsong. “Lavender”. The Dance. Online at <http://www.thedance.com/herbs/lavender.htm>. Updated 30 Nov, 2004. Visited 17 Feb, 2006.
