As any lavender lover knows, lavender is one of the most versatile herbs you can grow. Not only does it look beautiful in the garden, but it is used in fragrances, traditional herbal medicine and as a culinary herb.
That said, and in honor of one of our favorite scents, here are some other interesting facts you may know about this captivating plant:
- The scientific name of lavender is “lavandula”, which comes from the Latin word “larvare”, meaning “to wash”.
- In Ancient Egypt, lavender was used in the mummification process.
- The color lavender is named after “lavandula angustifolia”, the most cultivated species of the lavender family.
- There are actually 39 different species of the lavender plant, with up to 400 varieties worldwide. Despite popular thinking, lavender doesn’t just come in blue or purple, but can come in shades of pink, white and even green.
- Lavender comes from the same family as mint.
- Although lavender can be used for a variety of products, its main commercial value comes from the production of essential oils.
- In the language of flowers, lavender can mean devotion, luck, success, happiness or mistrust.
- Like citronella, lavender fragrance is known to repel insects.
- Lavender oil is said to soothe sore muscles and joints, reduce anxiety and stress, and increase sleepiness.
Since you are interested in learning more about lavender, we invite you to visit us at ROOTS GARDENWe have lavender waiting for you. We also invite you to make your own terrarium at hometo learn which are the 29 best air-purifying plants, and to learn and to subscribe to our newsletter specializing in plant care on plant care, gardening tips, home decorating ideas and much more.