Best Lavenders for Drying, Cooking, and Essential Oil

We all need to stop and smell the Lavender sometimes! In addition to their ornamental use in waterwise landscapes, Lavender plants can be harvested to take advantage of their amazing aromatherapeutic properties. Lavender's innumerable uses range from culinary to crafts. Imagine making flavored vinegars, jellies, baked goods and beverages. Craft fragrant and relaxing sachets, potpourri, candles, soaps, and cleaning supplies. Or, create a spa-like experience at home with essential oils of Lavender. Dried Lavender flowers can be used for sachets, wreaths, and wands. The possibilies are endless! 

Records show Lavender has been in use for over 2,500 years, for bathing, medicine, cleansing, and even romance charms. Interested in the story of lovely Lavender's use over time? Learn More: A History Of Lavender

This is a very subjective recommendation as different cooks will have different opinions as to what tastes best. Many French hybrids have an overabundance of camphor-like scent to their oil which can be overpowering in a recipe. English varieties are typically favored for culinary use.

Best English Lavenders For Cooking:

• 'Vera'
• 'Munstead' 
• 'Hidcote'

Best French Hybrid cultivars:

• 'Gros Bleu' (the most like English, with a sweet, low-camphor component)

Curious about choosing English, French Hybrid, and Spanish Lavender varieties? Learn More: Lavender Bliss - Exploring Lavender Varieties

Excited to plant your own Lavender plants? Watch and learn from our chief horticulturist, David Salman, in our helpful guide to growing Lavender. Learn More: How To Grow & Care For Lavender Plants

by High Country Gardens

Best Lavender Varieties For Special Uses

In addition to their ornamental use in water-wise (xeric) landscapes, lavender plants are also used for other purposes such as lavender oil production, for dried flower products (such as sachets, wreaths, and wands) and as a culinary spice.

In this respect, not all varieties are the same.

Here are my recommendations for these different categories selected from the cultivars grown by High Country Gardens.

Best Lavender Cultivars For Lavender Oil Production

This is of primary concern to commercial growers who grow lavender flowers from which to distill lavender oil, based on the weight yield of flowers per plant and oil content of flowers.

Best English cultivars:

• 'Vera'
• 'Hidcote Superior'

Best French Hybrid cultivars:

• 'Gros Bleu'
• 'Grosso'
• 'Phenomenal'

Best Lavender Cultivars For Drying

Best English Lavender cultivars for Dried Flowers:

• 'Royal Velvet'
• 'Sharon Roberts'
• 'Miss Katherine'

Best French Hybrid Lavender for Dried Flowers:

• 'Gros Bleu'
• 'Grosso'
• 'Phenomenal'

Culinary Use

This is a very subjective recommendation as different cooks will have different opinions as to what tastes best. Many French hybrids have an overabundance of camphor-like scent to their oil which can be overpowering in a recipe.

Best English Lavenders For Cooking:

• 'Vera' and most other English types.

Best French Hybrid cultivars:

• 'Gros Bleu' (most like English with a sweet, low camphor component)

Long Blooming and Twice Blooming Lavender

These are cultivars (varieties) that provide an extended season of flowering in the water-wise (xeric) landscapes.

The English cultivars will bloom in early summer and again in September (when promptly deadheaded after the first summer flush of flowers).

Twice Blooming English Lavender cultivars:

• 'Sharon Roberts'
• 'Buena Vista'
• Pastor's Pride'

Longest Blooming French Hybrid Lavender cultivar:

• 'Gros Bleu'

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