06/04/2026
Most "lavender" purchased at American garden centers is not the kind recipes call for — and many gardeners never find out until the shortbread tastes medicinal. Three types sit side by side on the same bench looking nearly identical. They are not. 🌿
English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) — the only one for cooking. Low camphor, clean floral flavor, true lavender scent. Hardy in zones 5–9. Compact plant with short dense flower spikes and no bracts. Varieties worth growing for culinary use: Hidcote, Munstead, Royal Velvet, Folgate.
Spanish lavender (Lavandula stoechas) — immediately identifiable by the two or more large petal-like bracts standing up from the tip of the flower head like rabbit ears. Hardy in zones 7b–10 only. High camphor content makes it harsh for cooking. It thrives in heat and humidity where English lavender struggles, which is why it dominates the Southeast market. Also sold as French lavender, butterfly lavender, or rabbit-ear lavender — do not let the label mislead you.
Lavandin (Lavandula × intermedia) — a sterile hybrid between English lavender and spike lavender. The largest of the three: two to three feet tall, flower spikes on long bare stems, noticeably bigger plant overall. Hardy in zones 5–9. Blooms later than English lavender. Very high camphor and borneol content produces a sharp medicinal flavor — not for cooking. Most of the commercial lavender oil and lavender sachets on the market come from lavandin, not from true lavender. Grosso, Provence, and Phenomenal are all lavandin varieties. 🌱
The identification shortcut: look at the flower head. No bracts and short compact spike = English lavender. Rabbit-ear bracts on top = Spanish lavender. Tall spike on a long bare stem and notably large plant = lavandin.
The tag often says only "lavender." Read the botanical name — Lavandula angustifolia is the one you want for the kitchen.
One tip that protects more plants than zone charts: lavender dies in winter from wet roots, not from cold. Drainage matters more than zone.
