Types of lavender

Most garden lavenders fall into five groups. English lavender is the hardiest and sweetest, the best choice for cooking, oil, and cold winters. Spanish lavender has showy “rabbit ear” bracts and loves hot, dry summers. French lavender has toothed leaves and a long bloom season in mild climates. Portuguese, or spike, lavender is a farm crop more than a garden plant. Lavandin, a cross of English and Portuguese lavender, grows bigger, blooms later, and has a stronger scent. All of them need full sun and soil that drains fast.

Which type should you plant? Where winters drop well below freezing, grow English lavender. In hot, humid summers or mild winters, try Spanish or French lavender. For big, fragrant hedges, choose lavandin, which NC State notes “is somewhat less hardy than the parent plants.” For cooking, stick with English cultivars like Munstead. See also lavender varieties, how to grow lavender, and when to cut back lavender.

There are over 30 lavender species, but just a few are grown in gardens. The main types of lavender are English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, and lavandin. Hundreds of named varieties (cultivars) exist, and most fall into one of these five groups.

Nature Hills sells lavender plants.

1. English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)

English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is the most popular type of lavender. It has a sweet, pure floral scent that makes it the top choice for essential oil, wreaths, and lavender wands. NC State Extension notes: “This plant is the source of the true oil of lavender.” It is also the most cold-hardy type, growing in Zones 5 to 9, and most culinary varieties are English cultivars. See our guide to English lavender.

English lavender is native to high-altitude areas in the south of France and parts of Spain and Italy. It fills many of the famous lavender fields of Provence. The name is misleading. It is not native to England, though it has grown in English herb gardens for centuries.

English lavender is a short shrub with thin spikes of purple flowers. It blooms in early to mid-summer (June or July) for about 3 to 4 weeks. Other common names include garden lavender, common lavender, narrow-leaved lavender, and true lavender.

Popular varieties of English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)

• Hidcote lavender
• Munstead lavender
• Royal Velvet lavender
• Melissa lavender
• Buena Vista lavender
• Violet Intrigue lavender
• Blue Cushion lavender
• Miss Katherine lavender
• Nana Alba lavender
• Imperial Gem lavender
• Thumbelina Leigh lavender
• Rosea lavender
• Hidcote Pink lavender
• Loddon Blue lavender

“Only some lavenders are suitable for culinary purposes, e.g. for making biscuits, cakes, ice cream and flavored icing sugar. Two examples are Lavandula angustifolia ‘Avice Hill’ and the true form of Lavandula angustifolia ‘Munstead’.”

Lavender: The Grower’s Guide, by Virginia McNaughton

2. Spanish lavender (Lavandula stoechas)

Spanish lavender (Lavandula stoechas) is another popular, fragrant type. It is known for the petal-like bracts on top of each flower head (often called “rabbit ears”) and for its long history in herbal use. It is not used in cooking, but it makes a striking ornamental. Read more about Spanish lavender.

Spanish lavender is native to the Mediterranean region, including Spain, Portugal, Turkey, and North Africa. Lavandula stoechas is named after the Stoechades Islands (Îles d’Hyères) off the south of France.

Spanish lavender grows best in warm climates with hot, dry summers, and it flowers from spring into summer. It is hardy in Zones 8 to 9 and handles humidity a bit better than English lavender.

NC State Extension says Spanish lavender “grows 2-3 feet tall and equally as wide.” It can work as a low hedge. Prune it with care: “These plants do not tolerate being cut back to the ground, which can cause them to die.”

Flower spikes are compact and fragrant, and the bracts on top draw butterflies and bees. Other common names include topped lavender and butterfly lavender.

Popular varieties of Spanish lavender (Lavandula stoechas)

• Otto Quast lavender
• Ballerina lavender
• Blueberry Ruffles lavender
• Fairy Wings lavender
• Van Gogh lavender
• Regal Splendor lavender
• Plum lavender
• Tickled Pink lavender
• Wine lavender

3. French lavender (Lavandula dentata)

French lavender (Lavandula dentata) is grown for its looks more than for scent or cooking. It is known for compact purple flower heads with small bracts, a long bloom season, and toothed leaves (see photo below). Its scent is milder and less sweet than English or Spanish lavender. See our full guide to French lavender.

French lavender is native to parts of Spain, North Africa, Madeira, and Cape Verde. It is hardy in Zones 8 to 9 and grows best in warm climates with mild, wet winters and dry, sunny summers.

This low-maintenance plant flowers from early summer to fall in warm climates. It needs little more than deadheading and a light shaping trim after flowering.

French lavender is popular in floral arrangements and potpourri. It is not used in cooking or for lavender oil. Other common names include toothed lavender and fringed lavender, after the toothed edges of its gray-green leaves.

Popular varieties of French lavender (Lavandula dentata)

• Allwood lavender
• Lambikins lavender
• Linda Ligon lavender
• Ploughman’s Blue lavender
• Pure Harmony lavender

4. Portuguese lavender (Lavandula latifolia)

Portuguese lavender (Lavandula latifolia) is a specialty type that few gardeners grow. It grows wild in dry Mediterranean climates and handles heat well. It is farmed for its oil (oil of spike, or aspic), which goes into soaps, varnishes, and cleaning products.

Portuguese lavender is native to low-altitude areas of southern Europe, including Spain, France, Italy, and the Balkans. It flowers after most other types, in late summer.

Portuguese lavender is also called spike lavender, after its tall, thin flower stems. It is rare in gardens, but it matters in breeding. Lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia) is a hybrid of Portuguese lavender and English lavender.

5. Lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia)

Lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia) is a hybrid of English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) and Portuguese lavender (Lavandula latifolia). NC State Extension explains: “Lavandin is somewhat less hardy than the parent plants, but grows larger (maturing to a 2 to 4 foot mound) and will produce more fragrant and showy flower spikes.” Most lavandins are sterile and are grown from cuttings. Learn more about lavandin.

Lavandin flower heads look a lot like English lavender, but they sit on longer stems, so lavandins stand taller in the garden. Lavandin flowers about 2 to 4 weeks after English lavender and before Portuguese lavender. Most types have a strong, camphor-tinged lavender aroma.

Like other lavenders, lavandin grows best in full sun with good drainage and handles drought once established. Most varieties bloom lilac purple, but there are pale pink, violet-blue, white, and dark purple types.

Popular varieties of lavandin

• Grosso lavender
• Hidcote Giant Lavender
• Fred Boutin Lavender
• Dutch Lavender
• Super Lavender
• Seal Lavender
• Grappenhall Lavender
• Alba Lavender
• Abrialii Lavender
• Bogong Lavender
• Impress Purple Lavender

Types of lavender FAQ