Lavandula angustifolia Arctic Snow - True Lavender

Lavandula angustifolia 'Arctic Snow' is a new variety of English lavender, also known as Lavender vera, which stands out for its abundant summer flowers which are a very pure white. Compact and dense, this low shrub transforms into a true ball of light, superb among darker plants. Its dense vegetation, as well as its flowers, are accompanied by an authentic lavender fragrance. Decorative in winter, its fine green-grey foliage will be even lighter and brighter if the summer is dry and hot. Give this beautiful lavender a very sunny exposure and perfectly drained soil in a rockery or gravel bed.

Lavandula angustifolia, sometimes called English lavender, is a plant in the Lamiaceae family, a relative of sage, thyme, and rosemary. This wild species is native to the Mediterranean mountains and is grown in Provence, where it is still cultivated for the production of essential oil. It is a plant that prefers calcareous and poor soils, and it appreciates rocky and stony areas. Its hardiness is good, around -15°C (5°F), but it requires very well-drained soil.

The 'Arctic Snow' variety, selected in England, forms a small bush, about 45 to 50 cm (18 to 20in) tall and 50-60 cm (20-24in) wide. Its habit is dense, the plant is vigorous and forms a lovely rounded bushy clump in a few years. Its foliage, decorative and evergreen in winter, is composed of small narrow leaves, which are highly aromatic. Their colour green-grey, appearing lighter in summer in dry soil, and covered with a thicker down to limit water loss through evapotranspiration. This phenomenon reflects the plant's adaptation to summer drought. In July-August, this lavender is covered with a multitude of small, very white, highly fragrant and nectar-rich flowers, tightly packed on short cylindrical spikes of 4 to 5 cm (2in), at the end of thin leafy woody stems.

With its graphic and wild appearance, the colour of its foliage and its pure white flowers, an infinity of possibilities are available to the gardener. Lavender 'Arctic Snow' can be associated with grasses like Stipa pennata or Stipa tenuifolia, which, with their tousled habit, will contrast with its rounded shape and create a harmonious and natural association. It will also work wonders when paired with evening primroses, perennial flaxes, asphodels, euphorbias, or dark shrubs like dwarf conifers and strawberry trees, or Tarentum myrtles. It blends well with Iris germanica, daylilies, and a small bindweed called Convolvulus althaeoides. You can also create beautiful pots to place on the patio or balcony to enjoy its fragrance. It is also possible to mix several varieties of lavender together, creating an elegant display with a variety of flower and foliage colours, as well as different plant sizes.

Properties: As lavender is a very nectar-rich plant, it contributes to the conservation of bees: the nectar from its flowers attracts bees, making some of the best honey.  The plant can be distilled to obtain highly sought-after essential oil for perfume and aromatherapy. Its numerous therapeutic properties are still widely used: its essential oil has antiseptic, antispasmodic, healing, cleansing, diuretic, and other properties.