Vanda

English Lavender - purple

Lavandula angus; English lavender; True lavender; Lavender

• 
  Easy care
• 
  Pollinator friendly
• 
  Scented

• Vanda likes...
  • 
    A sunny spot

    Vanda worships the sun. Make sure you give her as much as possible, even if it means on the windowsill - she'll be fine if hit by a bit of wind.

  • 
    Well drained soil

    Vanda really doesn't like her soil too moist, so make sure that the soil she's planted in drains well.

  • 
    Pruning

    Once her flowers begin to fade, cut her back to about 10-20cm above the soil.

• Quick facts

  Botanical name

  Lavandula angustifolia

  Nickname

  English Lavender, True Lavender, Lavender

  Plant type

  Herbaceous; outdoor

  Plant height (including pot)

  20-30cm

  Pet/baby safe

  Toxic to animals

  Nursery pot size

  15cm

• About lavandula

  Vanda is truly a magical plant: this purple beauty has been used for centuries as a medicinal herb, treating everything from anxiety to insomnia, depression, headaches, hair loss, nausea, and much more. Her first-ever recorded use comes from ancient Egypt, where she was made into oils that were important to the mummification process. Fast forward to ancient Rome, where she was used in bathing rituals because of her antiseptic properties - in fact, her botanical name comes from the Latin 'lavare', which literally means 'to wash'.

  Vanda makes a great addition to the garden for her lovely smell and cheery look. She blooms in midsummer and tends to stay in flower for 3-4 weeks; after her buds open, trim off a bunch of her stalks and use them in essential oils for some aromatherapy action, or in tea as a sleep aid.

  If your lavender is sitting in a nice sunny spot, you might find that it's soil dries out really quickly, which means that you'll need to keep an eye on watering, topping up between dry spells. By taking your plant of it's nursery post (the plastic pot that it comes in), and planting it up directly into a bigger decorative pot, you'll not only have to water less but you'll be giving your plant more room to grow.

  Complete guide to English Lavender care