Lavender

Lavender


Many people appreciate lavender (Lavandula angustifolia, or Lavandula officinalis) for its fragrance, used in soaps, shampoos, and sachets for scenting clothes.

The name lavender comes from the Latin root lavare, which means "to wash." Lavender may have earned this name because it was frequently used in baths to help purify the body and spirit.
However, this herb has also been used as a remedy for a range of ailments from insomnia and anxiety to depression and fatigue.
Research has confirmed that lavender produces slight calming, soothing, and sedative effects when its scent is inhaled.

Plant Description:

Lavender is native to the mountainous zones of the Mediterranean where it grows in sunny, stony habitats.
Today, it flourishes throughout southern Europe, Australia, and the United States. Lavender is a heavily branched short shrub that grows to a height of roughly 60 centimeters (about 24 inches).
Its broad rootstock bears woody branches with upright, rod-like, leafy, green shoots.
A silvery down covers the gray-green narrow leaves, which are oblong and tapered, attached directly at the base, and curled spirally.

The oil in lavender's small, blue-violet flowers gives the herb its fragrant scent.
The flowers are arranged in spirals of 6 - 10 blossoms, forming interrupted spikes above the foliage.

Parts Used

Essential oil is extracted from the fresh flowers of the lavender plant and used for medicinal purposes.