biology

Lavandula angustifolia

Lavandula angustifolia is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Lavandula angustifolia rather than just read about it. In short: Lavandula angustifolia, formerly L. officinalis, is a flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae, native to the Mediterranean basin. Its common names include lavender, true lavender and English lavender (though it is not native to England); also garden lavender, common lavender and narrow-leaved lavender.

Key takeaways

Lavandula angustifolia belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Lavandula angustifolia to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Lavandula angustifolia from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Lavandula angustifolia, formerly L. officinalis, is a flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae, native to the Mediterranean basin. Its common names include lavender, true lavender and English lavender (though it is not native to England); also garden lavender, common lavender and narrow-leaved lavender.

Description It is a strongly aromatic shrub growing as high as 1 to 2 metres (3+1⁄2 to 6+1⁄2 ft) tall. The leaves are evergreen, 2–6 centimetres (1–2+1⁄2 inches) long, and 4–6 millimetres (3⁄16–1⁄4 in) broad. The flowers are typically purple (lavender-coloured), produced on spikes 2–8 cm (1–3 in) long at the top of slender, leafless stems 10–30 cm (4–12 in) long.

Etymology The species name angustifolia is Latin for "narrow leaf". Previously, it was known as Lavandula officinalis, referring to its medicinal properties.

Cultivation English lavender is commonly grown as an ornamental plant. It is popular for its colourful flowers, its fragrance, and its ability to survive with low water consumption. It does not grow well in continuously damp soil and may benefit from increased drainage. It does best in Mediterranean climates similar to its native habitat, characterised by wet winters and dry summers. It is fairly tolerant of low temperatures, and is generally considered hardy to Royal Horticultural Society zone H6, or USDA zone 5. It tolerates acid soils, but favours neutral to alkaline soils, and in some conditions it may be short-lived.

Cultivars

AGM cultivars The following cultivars of L. angustifolia and its hybrids have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit:-

Dwarf cultivars

Compacta, Folgate, Dwarf Blue, Dwarf White, Hidcote Pink, Hidcote Superior, Munstead, Nana Atropurpurea, Nana Rosea, Sarah, Summerland Supreme, Lady Lavender

'Hidcote Superior', a compact evergreen shrub 40 cm × 45 cm (16 in × 18 in) with fragrant gray-green foliage and deep violet-blue flowers in summer, prefers full sun, well drained soil, low water, hardy to −30 °C (−22 °F), western Mediterranean species 'Munstead' (syn. Dwarf Munstead, Munstead Blue and Munstead Variety) L. angustifolia variety, 30 cm (12 in) tall, having pink-purple to lavender-blue inflorescences that are slightly fragrant, named after Munstead Wood in Surrey, which was the home of Gertrude Jekyll 'Sarah', grows to 15–60 cm (5.9–23.6 in), the flowers are petite, as is the plant, used as a short edging, or as a very fragrant addition to the window box, dark violet flowers 'Lady Lavender', grows to 45 cm (18 in), fragrant, gray-green foliage and lavender-blue flowers in summer, prefers full sun, well-drained soil, low water, hardy to −30 °C (−22 °F)

Semi-dwarf cultivars

Bowles Early, Hidcote Variety, Loddon Blue, Martha Roderick, Jean Davis, Twickle Purple, Pink Perfume

'Hidcote' (syn. Hidcote Variety, Hidcote Blue, Hidcote Purple) L. angustifolia variety. 40 to 50 cm (16 to 20 in) tall, with silver-gray foliage and deep violet-blue inflorescences, named after Hidcote Manor in England as it was cultivated there by Lawrence Johnston 'Jean Davis' 50–60 cm (20–24 in) tall, up to 1 m (3.3 ft). A pale pink flowered lavender with exceptionally fruity taste 'Pink Perfume' 60 cm × 45 cm (24 in × 18 in)

Giant cultivars

Alba, Backhouse Purple, Biostos, Bridestowe, Graves, Gray Lady, Gwendolyn Anley, Hidcote Giant, Irene Doyle, Mailette, Middachten

'Hidcote Giant'. A Lavandula × intermedia lavandin. Very vigorous grower (90 to 100 cm; 35 to 39 in) with a lovely strong fragrance. This has large deep lavender-purple flowers on very long 60 cm (24 in) stems. 'Vera' 75 to 90 cm (30 to 35 in). Thought to be the original species lavender, harvested for its oil.

Uses

The flowers and leaves are applied in herbal medicine. Commercially, the plant is used to produce lavender essential oil used in balms, salves, perfumes, cosmetics, and topical applications. Lavender essential oil, when diluted with a carrier oil, is commonly used for massage therapy or aromatherapy. The flowers are also used as a culinary herb, most often as part of the North American version of the French herb blend called herbes de Provence. Lavandula angustifolia is included in the Tasmanian Fire Service's list of low flammability plants, indicating that it is suitable for growing within a building protection zone.

Subspecies Lavandula angustifolia subsp. angustifolia Lavandula angustifolia subsp. pyrenaica

Hybrids Lavandula hybrids are referred to as lavandins. Hybrids between L. angustifolia and L. latifolia (spike lavender) are called Lavandula × intermedia. They bloom later than the ordinary English lavenders.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Lavandula angustifolia

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Lavandula angustifolia claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Lavandula angustifolia before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Lavandula angustifolia ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Lavandula angustifolia

In research: Lavandula angustifolia appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Lavandula angustifolia in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Lavandula angustifolia is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Drought-tolerant plants, Flora of Malta, Flora of Spain, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Lavandula angustifolia outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Lavandula angustifolia in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Lavandula angustifolia means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Lavandula angustifolia out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Lavandula angustifolia in simple terms?

Why does Lavandula angustifolia matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Lavandula angustifolia?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Lavandula angustifolia.