10 fun facts about lavender
As any lavender lover knows, lavender is one of the most highly 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. So in honour of one our favourite scents, here are some other interesting facts you might now know about the captivating flower.
1. The scientific name of lavender is “lavandula” which comes from the Latin word “larvare,” meaning “to wash”.
2. Queen Victoria was such a fan of lavender she required all of her furniture be polished with a lavender-based solution, and she also sipped tea infused with lavender to settle her stomach.
3. In Ancient Egypt, lavender was used in the mummification process.
4. The colour lavender is named after “lavandula angustifolia,” the most cultivated species of the lavender family.
5. There are actually 39 different species of the lavender plant, with as many as 400 varieties across the world. Despite popular thinking, lavender doesn’t just come in blue or purple, but can come in shades of pink, white and even green.
6. Lavender comes from the same family as the mint.
7. While lavender can be used for many different things, its primary commercial value comes from the production of essential oils.
8. In the language of flowers, lavender can mean devotion, luck, success, happiness or distrust.
9. Like citronella, the fragrance of lavender is known to repel bugs.
10. Lavender oil is said to soothe aching muscles and joints, reduce anxiety and stress, and to increase drowsiness.
Related links:
Plants suffer from nutrient deficiencies too
Common gardening mistakes you can avoid
Gallery: 10 hanging basket ideas for your flowers