Lavandula

"Lavender" redirects here. For the color, see Lavender (color). For other uses, see Lavender (disambiguation).

Lavender
Lavender flowers with bracts
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Lamiaceae
Subfamily: Nepetoideae
Tribe: Ocimeae
Genus: Lavandula
L.
Type species
Lavandula spica
Synonyms[1]
  • Stoechas Mill.
  • Fabricia Adans.
  • Styphonia Medik.
  • Chaetostachys Benth.
  • Sabaudia Buscal. & Muschl.
  • Plectranthus mona lavender
  • Isinia Rech.f.

Lavandula (common name lavender) is a genus of 47 known species of perennial flowering plants in the mints family, Lamiaceae.[1] It is native to the Old World, primarily found across the drier, warmer regions of mainland Eurasia, with an affinity for maritime breezes.[2]

Lavender is found on the Iberian Peninsula and around the entirety of the Mediterranean coastline (including the Adriatic coast, the Balkans, the Levant, and coastal North Africa), in parts of Eastern and Southern Africa and the Middle East, as well as in South Asia and on the Indian subcontinent.[3]

Many members of the genus are cultivated extensively in temperate climates as ornamental plants for garden and landscape use, for use as culinary herbs, and also commercially for the extraction of essential oils.[4] Lavender is used in traditional medicine and as an ingredient in cosmetics.

  1. ^ a b "Lavandula L." Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2024. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  2. ^ "How do you plant a seaside garden? Planting for coastal conditions". Learning with Experts. 27 January 2014. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
  3. ^ Forney, Julie Martens (n.d.). "Outdoor flowering plants – mona lavender". HGTV. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
  4. ^ "Plectranthus Mona lavender". Plant Finder. Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved 19 October 2018.