Lavender is originally from southern Europe. Characteristic of high Provence, many fields in southern France are fragrant with lavender at flowering time from June to August.
Occurrence and cultivation of lavender
From the inflorescences with stems comes the popular lavender oil.
Lavender is also known by various other names such as spiked lavender, nervewort, lavander, speick and tobacco flower. Scientists call the plant Lavendula officinalis. Lavender belongs to the labiates family.
Warm dry slopes are preferred by the lavender. It was the Benedictines who brought lavender across the Alps. In the meantime, however, the semi-shrub has spread to Central Europe. The flowers are collected in July and August and used for healing.
The shape of the leaves is called linear. When young they are gray-blue. The shrub appears gray-felted hairy and soft when young. Later it becomes increasingly green. Half a meter to a meter in height lavender reaches. The branches point steeply upwards, and the leaves reach up to five centimeters in length.
Due to their blue-purple color, the flowers look very attractive. This color is also called lavender, hence the name. The flowers look like spikes in their shape. They smell like balsam and are very aromatic.
Effect and application
Beekeepers appreciate lavender as a so-called secondary crop. The sugar content is very high and the taste is round and balanced. The lavender has a calming effect on people. Thus, the plant has become known as a medicinal plant. The lavender is said to have healing properties in many ways. The ingredients are essential oil, tannin, saponide and glycoside.
From the inflorescences with stems comes the popular lavender oil. For this purpose, the flowers can be preserved in oil, for example, olive oil. Steam distillation is also suitable for the production of lavender oil. In order for the active ingredient to be rich in content, harvesting should begin early in the morning. Picking is also recommended shortly after a rain shower, as soon as the flowers are dry again.
When the leaves are still young the shoots are soft, then cooks like to use the plant to refine and season lamb, poultry, soups and also fish. Spanish, Italian and French cuisines have become famous with this way of seasoning. Avant-garde chefs also use lavender for desserts. The aroma is bitter-spicy. Packed aroma-tight, dried lavender will keep for six months to three quarters of a year.
Importance for health
Lavender is good for internal and external use. A lavender tea mixture is said to help against lumbago. It also has antiseptic, antispasmodic, asthma, exhaustion, hypertension, cough, nervousness and much more. It thus a popular remedy.
A tincture with lavender can be taken as well as applied to the skin. As a bath additive, you can relax wonderfully with lavender. There are also ointments based on lavender. Skin irritations are soothed with it. The soothing power of lavender is used on babies and small children. Lavender pillows have a calming effect on them. Herbal vinegar with lavender content is very digestible and tasty. It shows its advantages especially in diseases such as rheumatism and gout.
Not only healing effects distinguish the lavender. If a lavender pillow is placed in a closet, the clothes will be spared from moths. Used in a fragrance lamp, lavender essential oil purifies the air and also calms the people inside.
