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Narrow-leaved lavender is a type of evergreen perennial herbaceous shrub with delicate silvery foliage and fragrant spikelets consisting of small purple, lilac, pink, blue or white flowers. The medicinal and spicy-aromatic properties of this plant are well known, thanks to which it is actively used in medicine, perfumery and cooking. Narrow-leaved lavender is very decorative, frost-resistant and unpretentious.
It is not surprising that this particular species is most widespread on the territory of Russia. Narrow-leaved lavender is grown in the fields on an industrial scale. It is planted in decorative compositions, decorating parks, gardens, personal plots. If you try a little, you can keep this delicate and pleasantly smelling flower in a flowerpot on the window of a city apartment. There are many cultivars of narrow-leaved lavender with improved characteristics, including Russian selection. Among them, you can choose the most suitable for growing in a particular region.
Description of narrow-leaved lavender
Narrow-leaved lavender (Lavandula angustifolia in Latin) is one of the 47 species that make up the genus Lavender, which is part of the Lipocystaceae (Lamb) family. In another way, it is also known under the names of English Lavender, Real Lavender, Spikelet Lavender (spikelet, spikelet).
This species got its main name because of the characteristic narrow shape of the leaf. For the first time its description was compiled by the English botanist Philip Miller in 1768. A photo of narrow-leaved lavender will help to understand what this plant is.
Narrow-leaved lavender (English) is a very decorative and fragrant evergreen shrub that can become an exquisite decoration of any corner of the garden
It is an evergreen, perennial, herbaceous dwarf shrub from 30 to 60 (sometimes up to 100) cm in height. The shoots of the plant branch strongly, due to which the crown has a lush spherical shape. The central stem of narrow-leaved lavender is absent. Its powerful, lignified lower branches rise slightly above the ground and bear numerous young shoots of white-gray color, striving upward. Their surface is slightly pubescent. The number of shoots on one plant can reach 400 pieces.
The narrow-leaved lavender has a taproot system. It is dense and powerful, but branches strongly at the top.
The leaves of the plant are thin, narrow, with slightly curved edges. When blooming, they are pubescent, like shoots, and have a gray-green color, then become naked and bright green. The length of lavender narrow-leaved leaves varies from 2 to 6 cm. They are located opposite.
In flower shoots of the plant, the upper internode is noticeably elongated. Inflorescences are located at their tops. They are spike-shaped.
Narrow-leaved lavender blooms for 25-30 days. It can usually be seen in July-August. The flowers are small, about 1 cm long, united in false whorls of 6 pieces.They have elongated double-lipped corollas with large lobes. As a rule, they are blue-purple in color, although there are varieties of narrow-leaved lavender with purple, blue, pink, white flowers.
The fruit of the plant is 4 nuts inside the calyx. Their ripening period is August-September.
The lifespan of narrow-leaved lavender in nature is 20-30 years.
Differences between broadleaf and narrow-leaved lavender
When the word "lavender" is pronounced, most often they mean precisely narrow-leaved. However, not only this species is known in culture.
Wide-leaved lavender (Lavandula latifolia), often called French by the people, is grown in large quantities in the south of this country and used for the production of essential oils. It is distinguished by the following features:
- on each stem of broad-leaved lavender there are 3 inflorescences (in narrow-leaved - one at a time);
- its spikelets are shorter and denser;
- flowering begins earlier;
- leaves are wider, lanceolate;
- the petals of its upper flowers stick up like the wings of a butterfly;
- its aroma is stronger and more pungent, notes of camphor are pronounced in it;
- she is more thermophilic.
Lavender broadleaf (French) is less hardy than English lavender and has a sharper aroma
Lavandin - a hybrid of narrow-leaved and broad-leaved lavender
Narrow-leaved lavender varieties
Today, many varieties of narrow-leaved lavender are known, which differ in height, bush shape, degree of aroma, flowering time, flower color. Most of them were bred in England, France, Spain. However, there are several excellent varieties, both of domestic origin and from neighboring countries, zoned in various regions of Russia.
Munstead
Lavender narrow-leaved Munsted (Munsted, Munsted) was bred in 1916 by the famous English garden designer Gertrude Jekyll. This variety does not grow tall - only up to 30-40 cm. Very fragrant flowers are painted in a rich blue-violet tone and appear in July-August.
Munsted is an extremely beautiful low-rise variety
Hidcote
Hidkot (Hidcoat) - one of the most popular varieties of lavender in the world, narrow-leaved, was named in honor of the estate of its originator, Englishman Lawrence Johnston. Reaches 30-60 cm in height and about 1 m in diameter. Possesses a very persistent pleasant aroma. Its deep purple flowers look extremely decorative against the background of dense blue-green foliage. In climates with warm mild winters, this plant remains evergreen.
Hydcot is one of the most popular varieties in the world.
Folgate
Folgate lavender bush with a dense spherical crown usually grows up to 30-70 cm.Its petals, painted in a violet-blue hue, shimmer in bright light, due to which these flowers look very beautiful when cut. This variety has a fragrant, sweet aroma. Flowering begins early, in late spring or early summer. Folgate narrow-leaved lavender is most often used in cooking. A significant drawback - in the open field, it does not tolerate the winters of the middle climatic zone.
Blue-violet folgate flowers shimmer in bright light
Buena vista
The flowers of the Buena Vista variety have an unusual color: dark purple calyxes and violet-blue corollas. This is a medium-sized lavender (50-60 cm). Due to its re-flowering, late spring and early autumn, as well as its high oil content, it is actively cultivated for industrial purposes.
In the color of flowers of the Buena Vista variety, two tones are combined
Dwarf blue
Dwarf Blue (Dwarf Blue) is a compact (up to 40 cm), frost-resistant variety of narrow-leaved lavender.Delicate purple flowers look beautiful against a background of silvery green leaves. Resistant to air pollution and therefore suitable for decorative purposes in urban gardens. Can be planted in pots and containers. Blooms in June-July. It tolerates cutting well.
Delicate purple Dwarf Blue is resistant to air pollution and great for urban plantings
Ellagance
Elagans is a group of lavender varieties with a narrow-leaved height of 30-60 cm.Ellagance Pink has pale pink flowers, Ellagance Ice has dark blue or snow-white, Elagance Sky has purple-violet, at Ellagance Purple - rich lilac. They are grown mainly for decorative purposes.
Elagans Ice will surprise you with a snow-white color
Voznesenskaya 34
A variety of domestic selection, bred in the Krasnodar Territory. It was entered in the State Register in 1962. This is a low-growing variety, the height of the bush does not exceed 30 cm. The dense branches, forming an almost spherical crown, are covered with gray-green leaves. Numerous bright inflorescences of violet-lilac color adorn this lavender in June-July. Great for growing in all regions of Russia.
Voznesenskaya 34 is a popular industrial variety of domestic selection
Stepnaya
The originator of the variety is the Crimean Research Institute of Agriculture. It was included in the State Register of the Russian Federation in 2014. Recommended for growing in the North Caucasus region. Plant height - up to 60 cm, crown shape - semi-spreading. The flowers of this variety of narrow-leaved lavender are painted in light lilac tones. It is characterized by mid-maturity and high content of essential oils. It is considered not too winter hardy.
The narrow-leaved lavender variety Stepnaya is famous not only for the beauty of the flowers, but also for the high content of essential oil.
Early
Early ripe lavender, created by breeders of the Crimea on the basis of the Stepnaya variety. The date of inclusion in the State Register is 1980. The height of the bush is average (30-60 cm), the corolla of the flowers are light purple, the calyx is gray-green. Due to its high yield and good winter hardiness, the variety has established itself as an industrial variety. An additional positive feature is septoria resistance.
Early - winter-hardy and early flowering hybrid of the Stepnaya variety
Isis
A hybrid of narrow-leaved lavender, obtained by Crimean breeders as a result of crossing the varieties Druzhba, Stepnaya and Hemus. Included in the State Register of the Russian Federation in 2000, zoned for cultivation in the North Caucasus region. Grows to 69-70 cm in height. Late-ripening variety. The flowers are dark purple. Excellent for seed propagation. The results of variety trials showed that Isida's parameters for the collection of essential oil were even higher than that of Stepnaya.
Isida retains most of the traits when propagated by seed
Breeding features
There are several ways to breed narrow-leaved lavender:
- sowing seeds;
- cuttings;
- dividing the bush;
- rooting of layers.
Growing from seeds is the longest and most laborious option for obtaining young plants. In ornamental gardening, the seedling method is usually used, but sowing directly into the ground is also allowed.
Cutting a plant is much easier. To do this, in June-July, annual shoots are cut from a young bush of a narrow-leaved variety. They are divided into cuttings about 10 cm long and the leaves are removed at the base. The lower cut of each of them is dipped in Kornevin and rooted under a film in a greenhouse with fertile soil, providing abundant watering and ventilation for 3-5 weeks. As a rule, by the end of August, young plants with an overgrown root system are planted in a permanent place of growth, so that they have time to gain strength before the onset of winter.
You can divide adults, 3-4-year-old narrow-leaved lavender bushes. This procedure is performed in spring or autumn.The bush should be dug up with a lump of earth and carefully cut into 2 or more pieces with a sterile sharp knife or pruner. It is important that each of the divisions has well-developed roots. They should be pruned a little before replanting the plants.
Layers of narrow-leaved lavender are rooted in the spring. Shallow grooves are dug in the ground near the selected bush. Several long shoots are gently tilted to the side, placed in prepared holes and pinned or pressed to the ground with a small load. Then the layers are sprinkled with soil, leaving their tops on the surface. Further, it is imperative to ensure that the soil around the bush and buried shoots does not dry out. Lavender angustifolia cuttings will take root the following spring. They can be separated from the mother plant and planted in the chosen place.
Application in landscape design
The decorative appearance of evergreen bushes of narrow-leaved lavender, strewn with beautiful fragrant flowers in summer, its longevity and unpretentious care have led to the great popularity of this plant in the design of gardens and plots.
For a narrow-leaved look, you can easily find a place in the design of a garden of any style.
The options for using it in landscape design are varied:
- creation of low hedges, planting along fences and along the perimeter of various buildings;
- front and middle rows in mixborders;
- fragrant and bright borders along garden paths;
- picturesque islets between stones in rock gardens, rockeries;
- effective decoration of various parts of the garden when grown in tubs and large flowerpots of an unusual shape;
- single plantings against the background of green lawns;
- in combination with plants designed to strengthen the slopes: juniper, rhododendron, subulate phlox, lilac;
- in flower beds with different varieties of roses;
- in compositions with spicy herbs: sage, rosemary, thyme, thyme, mint, yarrow.
Useful properties of narrow-leaved lavender
Narrow-leaved lavender is not only a beautiful and aromatic plant, but also a very useful plant. In addition to decorating the garden, she can successfully perform other roles:
- it is an excellent honey plant, attracting pollinators to the site - bees and butterflies;
- narrow-leaved lavender bushes, planted along the beds in the garden, scare away pests during flowering;
- all organs of the plant contain essential oil, which is successfully used in perfumery and aromatherapy;
- narrow-leaved lavender flowers are used in culinary recipes;
- dry inflorescences, laid out on the shelves of the cabinet, protect woolen and fur clothes from damage by moths.
The narrow-leaved species has long been successfully used in folk medicine, since it has many properties that are beneficial to human health. In particular, its dry flowers, stems, leaves and essential oil are used:
- as a sedative for insomnia, nervousness, migraines, chronic stress;
- for the treatment of disorders of the digestive system;
- in the fight against certain skin diseases;
- as an ingredient in soothing baths;
- with circulatory disorders;
- for the preparation of ointments effective for arthritis, rheumatism, sprains;
- as the main component of an agent for treating burns and wounds.
The essential oil of the plant is found in all its organs and is widely used in medicine, cooking, perfumery
Growing narrow-leaved lavender at home
Although narrow-leaved lavender is not a traditional houseplant, it is also possible to grow it at home. The main problems with keeping this flower indoors are, as a rule, insufficient lighting and lack of fresh air. If you try to eliminate them by properly organizing the care of the plant, then it will be able to develop and bloom quite successfully.
The main subtleties of growing narrow-leaved lavender in a pot:
- The correct choice of plant variety.For cultivation in an apartment, low varieties of narrow-leaved lavender with good drought resistance, such as Munsted, Hidkot, Lavender Lady, Nana Alba, are best suited.
- The correct selection of capacity and soil for planting. For a start, it is better to take a wide flowerpot with a diameter of at least 30 cm and a volume of 2-3 liters with drainage holes in the bottom. The soil should be loose and fertile. A mixture of sand with humus and leafy soil 1: 1: 2 or a ready-made commercial substrate is suitable.
- Germination of seeds. At the initial stage, it obeys the same rules as when sowing seedlings, which will be discussed in more detail below.
- Providing sufficient light, warmth and fresh air. In nature, narrow-leaved lavender needs sunlight for at least 10 hours a day. In the summer, it is advisable to take out the pot with the plant to an open loggia or in the garden, and in winter place it on the southern windowsill and arrange supplementary lighting with a phytolamp.
- Regular watering with warm, settled water 2-3 times a week. The soil in the pot should be moist, but not soggy. When watering lavender, narrow-leaved water must be applied so that it falls on the leaves, and then flows down them into the ground. In hot summer, the plant should be additionally sprayed with a spray bottle.
- Fertilizing in liquid form once every 2-3 weeks. Before budding begins, potted lavender is fed with nitrogen compounds. Then, throughout the growing season, phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are added.
- Performing correct plant pruning. It helps to form a neat spherical crown. The knock-out shoots of narrow-leaved lavender are pruned with garden shears twice a year: before and after flowering.
- Annual spring transplant into a larger container due to root overgrowth. Starting from 5-6 years, the narrow-leaved lavender bush growing at home can be divided. This will help rejuvenate the plant.
You can successfully grow lavender in an apartment if you provide it with proper care.
Planting and caring for narrow-leaved lavender outdoors
Narrow-leaved lavender is distinguished by its endurance and unpretentiousness, however, it should be remembered that it is thermophilic and needs an abundance of light, as well as suitable soil. It is necessary to take into account the preferences of this flower, organizing planting and further care for it.
Timing
In regions with warm winters and mild climates, narrow-leaved lavender seeds can be sown directly into the ground. The optimal period for this is October.
In the Moscow region and the middle lane, narrow-leaved lavender seeds are usually germinated for seedlings before planting in the ground. This is done in late February or early March. Thus, in May, young seedlings with 3-5 leaves can already be planted in the soil.
Site selection and soil preparation
The site where it is planned to place narrow-leaved lavender should have the following characteristics:
- open, well lit;
- protected from strong winds;
- the soil is loose, calcareous, with good drainage properties;
- optimal soil composition - sandy loam or light loam;
- its acidity level does not exceed 6.5.
Inadmissibly close occurrence of groundwater. Ideally, the bed or flower garden should be located on a small hill, which excludes stagnation of moisture at the roots.
Immediately before planting the plants, the garden bed must be dug to a depth of 0.2-0.3 m, debris removed, and weed rhizomes must be selected. Narrow-leaved lavender is not very demanding on soil fertility, but it grows well in humus-rich soil. It is recommended to deposit for each sq. m of garden area:
- 1 bucket of rotted manure or compost;
- 20-25 g of potassium salt;
- 35-50 g of superphosphate.
How to sow narrow-leaved lavender seeds
The cultivation of narrow-leaved lavender from seeds implies their mandatory pre-planting preparation. For this purpose, the inoculum is stratified at a temperature of about + 5 ° C for 1-2 months. The seeds are advised to be mixed with moistened sand, wrapped in a paper napkin, and then in cling film, and put in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator.
When planting in the open ground in autumn, the sowing material of narrow-leaved lavender is buried in the soil by 0.3-0.4 cm. After that, the surface of the beds is slightly compacted and, if necessary, moistened.
Narrow-leaved lavender seeds can be germinated in advance for seedlings or sown directly into open ground
The seedling method of growing narrow-leaved lavender involves the following steps:
- A drainage layer is poured onto the bottom of a wide box or container. Then it is filled with a substrate from a mixture of sand, humus and leafy earth.
- The stratified seeds are spread over the soil surface. They are sprinkled with a layer of sand about 3 mm thick, then sprayed with warm water from a spray bottle, covered with glass or a transparent polyethylene cap and placed in a warm (+ 15-22 ° C), well-lit place.
- After the emergence of shoots, additional lighting is organized for them and the "greenhouse" is removed for a short time every day, accustoming the growing narrow-leaved lavender to room temperature.
- When the seedlings have 2-3 pairs of true leaves, they are dived into separate pots or seated in a larger container, leaving a distance of at least 5 cm between them.
- At the end of May, narrow-leaved lavender is transferred to open ground. In the garden, holes are dug so deep that the rhizomes of the seedlings can fit in them. The distance between the planting pits depends on the size of an adult plant: for tall varieties of narrow-leaved lavender, it is 1.2 m, for medium and low - about 0.8-0.9 m. The roots of the seedling are slightly pruned, set in the hole and covered with earth. Then it is watered abundantly.
After 2-3 true leaves appear in seedlings, they dive
Follow-up care
Further care for the narrow-leaved lavender growing in the open field is not difficult. It is important to do it correctly.
Watering and feeding
It is recommended to water the narrow-leaved lavender systematically, as the soil dries up. At the first time after transplanting, the seedlings need the soil at their roots to be constantly moderately moist. Adult plants, if necessary, can tolerate lack of watering for 2-3 weeks.
Narrow-leaved lavender does not require special feeding. As a rule, it is mulched in the spring or spud in the fall with compost or humus. If for some reason this was not done, you can fertilize the narrow-leaved lavender with a complex mineral composition for flowering plants at the stage of budding.
Loosening, weeding, mulching
Every time after watering or rain, it is advisable to gently loosen the soil between the plants and weed out the weeds. However, these procedures can be carried out less often if, immediately after planting narrow-leaved lavender, mulch the soil at its roots with a layer of peat or compost.
If the bushes are old, in spring and autumn they need to be hilled high in order to enable new shoots to grow.
Pruning
It is advisable to remove the first inflorescences that appear on young seedlings. This will give young narrow-leaved lavender the opportunity to grow stronger and grow roots.
You need to prune the bushes annually. After the narrow-leaved lavender has faded, the wilted inflorescences should be removed. In the fall, you will need to shorten the shoots, maintaining the spherical shape of the crown.
Correct and timely pruning of lavender helps to form a neat crown
Rejuvenating pruning is carried out after the lavender angustifolia reaches 10 years of age. All branches must be shortened to 5 cm. The same can be done with a young plant, which does not please with abundant flowering.
Preparing for winter
If in the region where narrow-leaved lavender grows, the temperature in winter drops below -25 ° C, it must be covered for the frost period. After pruning, the bushes are covered with coniferous spruce branches or "breathing" agrofibre is placed on top.
If the winters in the region are warm and mild, narrow-leaved lavender can not be covered.
Pests and diseases
There are not so many pests and diseases that can cause serious damage to this plant. However, the health hazards of angustifolia lavender can be:
- Gray mold (gray mold) - a fungal disease that develops when the soil is waterlogged or too thickened plantings. At first, the flowering tops of the shoots turn brown and die, then the infection affects the remaining aerial organs. After the detection of the disease, the most infected specimens of narrow-leaved lavender should be removed and burned, and the rest of the plantings should be treated with Bordeaux mixture (1%) or fungicides.
The emergence of gray rot is often promoted by waterlogging of the soil or too dense plantings
- Slobbering penny - a parasitic insect that eats large holes in lavender leaves. It also significantly spoils the decorative appearance of the plant due to a substance that sticks to the stems, similar to foam, with which it protects its larvae. You can get rid of the penny by washing the lavender plantings with a narrow-leaved stream of water from a hose.
The slobbery penny larvae are protected by a layer of viscous substance that resembles foam
- Rainbow beetle - a pest that eats the leaves and flowers of lavender, depriving it of the opportunity to develop. Heavily infested bushes are advised to dig up and destroy. Adult insects are usually harvested by hand.
Rainbow beetle damages lavender leaves and flowers
Conclusion
Narrow-leaved lavender is a bright, spectacular and fragrant decoration of the garden that can please the eye for many years and does not need complex care. You can successfully grow this evergreen beauty as a houseplant if you provide it with enough light and warmth. Reviews of gardeners about narrow-leaved lavender agree that this flower is little affected by pests and diseases and is undemanding to environmental conditions. A wide variety of varieties allows you to choose an option suitable for growing in almost any region. In the event that the winters are harsh, you can plant the plant in a tub and, after the end of the warm period, take it from the garden to the room in order to put it back under the open sky for the next season.
