The Lavender

A precious plant already used by the ancient Romans, that used to put bunches of flowers in the thermal water; they also used the lavender to prepare fine perfumes, decoctions and beauty infusions for skin and hair care.
In a more recent past, we know that in every city and country house there weren't wardrobes or drawers that didn't have lavender sachets to perfume linen and keep away clothes moths.
This delicate habit is now returning to our homes, and reminds of old traditions and sensations of hygiene and care for the home. Nowadays in Italy, various types of lavender are cultivated, a perennial shrub that belongs to the family of the lamiaceae (labiate). The most common types are:

• Officinal lavender (vera, or fine, or angustifolia), used in medicine and to prepare medicinal herbs
• Hybrid lavender - (or Lavandin) of which a lot of cultivar exist, created for gardens (reaches heights of 100 cm) and is used to prepare detergent products.

The lavender vera still grows spontaneously today on the Alps and Apennine mountains ranging from 300 to 1000 metres in height. It prefers dry and stony areas, preferably calcareous, well drained and sun-exposed; it grows in shrubs between 30 to 60 cm. tall, flowers in Summer, colouring the mountains with a wonderful blue/violet.
Today, it is widely cultivated, as the Lavandin variety, nearly always following organic farming methods. The main producing regions are: Tuscany, Piedmont, Lazio and Emilia Romagna. The harvest takes place in different periods depending on the use of the flowers (for the preparation of medicinal herbs or for distillation), generally beginning in July until August, depending on the area, climate and variety.

Its beneficial properties are:
antiseptic, bacterial, bactericidal, antispasmodic, healing, analgesic, diuretic, cholagogue, insectifuge, stimulating, sudoriferous and sedative. For these characteristics it is widely diffused in pharmacy, in the preparation of medicinal herbs and therapeutic preparations of various kinds: mouthwashes, ointments for contusions, swellings, rheumatisms and skin inflammations, creams for migraines and remedies for insomnia and irritation problems.
The sector in which it outstands is perfumery. Its characteristic fresh aroma is utilized not only to prepare the classic "eau de toilette à la lavande", but enters in the composition of sophisticated perfumes and is widely used in cosmetics and soap works.

Some studies have evidenced that if vaporized in working environments it helps to stimulate productivity.
Only recently, did a research carried out at London's King College (September 2008) demonstrate that if vaporized in dental surgery's it considerably helps to calm the patients' anxiety. In many clinics for nervous illnesses the lavender vaporizations help to cure people suffering from depressive and anxious states exercising a rebalancing action. It is even used in nursery's as it's particularly suitable for children; helps concentration, purifies the air and stimulates resistance to microbe attacks.

The differences between Lavender and Lavandin

Lavender grows well among the hills and mountains. It is small in size and has only one flower per stem. It is reproduced per seed and its yield in essential oil, extracted following a gentle steam method is around 0, 8%. It is used for medications thanks to the presence of Linalool, responsible for the main therapeutic properties.

The Lavandin grows well in the plains and hills. It is larger in size and has 3 inflorescences per stem. It doesn't have a seed as it's an hybrid, or rather a crossbreed between lavender vera and lavender spica (or spigo, or latifolia). Because it is sterile it can reproduce only by set. It was created in the 1950's when there was a large request of essential oils on behalf of the detergent products industry. Its aroma is much stronger than that of the lavender vera, lightly camphoric and herby, however, fresh and pleasant. It can't be used to prepare medicinal herbs but is excellent to perfume rooms and linen. Its yield in essential oil, distilled following a gentle steam method, is around 4%.
Another product from the lavandeto is lavender honey: the flowers strongly attract the bees that produce a wonderful honey, aromatic, rare, esteemed and much sought after. The dried lavender flower is utilised for culinary uses to flavour food, to prepare a relaxing infusion or alcoholic beverages and drinks.
In our country the lavender spica is also grown, lavanda dentata and lavender stoechas all sensitive to the cold; the last two are appreciated as ornamental plants. Other than these there are hundreds of other varieties grown all over the world, that have enabled enthusiasts to create gardens with collections of lavender of all shapes, sizes and colours.