Origins

• Originally a Mediterranean herb, English lavender, or L. angustifolia, was quickly adopted by the English. In the 1700s English lavender was processed into lavender oil for scenting baths, flavoring culinary dishes, and remedying various ailments. A sweet-smelling and pretty flowering plant, the hardy English lavender could thrive in a wide variety of habitats. It was soon imported into North America where it became a favorite for both gardeners and landscapers.
  
  

Soil

• The English lavender plant thrives in a habitat with alkaline soil as long as it is well-drained. Some growers plant this herb in gravel or wood chips.
  
  

Climate

• The English lavender plant is much hardier than its Spanish or French cousins. These plants need a warmer climate in which to prosper, but the English lavender can survive much colder winters. English lavender does well in snowy climates, such as Santa Fe, New Mexico and Boulder, Colorado.
  
  

Water

• English lavender does not require a wet habitat. It is renowned for being quite drought-tolerant and does not do as well in damp, moist climates as it does in more arid environments.
  
  

Nutrients

• English lavender obtains its essential nutrients from the alkaline soil it grows in. However, in gardens it often benefits from a minimal application of an organic fertilizer.
  
  

Uses

• In ancient Rome, lavender was used for bathing. This aromatic lavender has also used in cooking and in medical treatments for everything from depression to snake bite. English lavender is used today as a decorative landscaping plant and in potpourri to lend beauty and fragrance to your home.