Woolly lavender

Lavandula lanata

Family · Lamiaceae · Harmless

Traditional useAromatic

The lavender of Andalusian limestone ranges, covered in white wool so dense the whole plant looks silver. It smells stronger than any other Iberian lavender.

Where it grows

Uplands · Scrubland · Fields and pasture

Also known as

white lavender

In flower

How to tell it

A silver-white subshrub, with narrow entire leaves covered in dense woolly hair on both sides. Compact spikes of dark violet flowers atop long stalks, without the bract tuft of French lavender. An extremely intense lavender scent on touch. Range: mainly a Spanish plant, practically absent from Portugal.

What it is confused with

French lavender

Lavandula stoechas

Harmless confusion

French lavender has a tuft of purple ear-like bracts at the top of the spike and is green; this is white with wool and has no tuft at all. Both smell good and neither is harmful.

Open sheet →

What it is for

Distilled for quality essential oil and used in traditional infusions in Andalusia. Traditional use. It is restricted to the Baetic ranges and over-gathered in some places, so it is looked at and not pulled up.

With documented traditional uses. Not a therapeutic indication and not a dose.

Sources

Flora Iberica (RJB-CSIC)