Lavandula angustifolia Hidcote White - True Lavender

Lavandula angustifolia 'Hidcote White' is a variety of English lavender covered with compact spikes of pure white in July-August. It then resembles a true ball of light, superb when planted amongst darker plants. Its dense and compact vegetation, as well as its particularly abundant flowering, are accompanied by a divine fragrance. The spikes are carried by long, leafy stems, emerging from evergreen grey-green foliage, which is even lighter when the soil is dry and the summer is hot. This variety will thrive in well draining, rocky soil, in full sun.

Lavandula angustifolia, sometimes called English lavender, is a plant of the Lamiaceae family, and a relative of sage, thyme and rosemary. The 'Hidcote White' variety forms a small bushy plant measuring 45 to 50 cm (18 to 20in) in all directions, with a very compact, dense and vigorous habit, in a bushy and rounded clump. Its decorative and evergreen foliage consists of narrow aromatic leaves in a beautiful silver-green colour. In summer, this lavender is covered with a multitude of highly fragrant and honey-producing white flowers carried by short cylindrical spikes, at the end of thin woody and leafy stems. In reality, it is the coloured calyxes, surrounding the flowers, that influence the perception of the colour of the blooms when seen from a distance.

Lavender 'Hidcote White' is a hardy variety, but like most other lavenders, it needs to be planted in full sun in a very well-draining (even rocky) soil, on a slope or in a rockery. In a sunny and warm location, its silver-green foliage will be more vibrant and its flowers will emit an intense fragrance. An ornamental and Mediterranean plant par excellence, lavender can be used in flower beds, as a specimen plant, in borders, rockeries, pots, by the seaside, and even as a low-flowering hedge.

There are a multitude of possibilities available to the gardener with this plant's graphic and wild appearance, the colour of its foliage and its white flowers. Lavender 'Hidcote White' can be associated with grasses such as Stipa pennata or Stipa tenuifolia, which, with their tousled habit, will contrast with its rounded shape and create a harmonious association often found in nature. It will also work wonders when paired with evening primroses, perennial flaxes, astragalus, euphorbias, or dark shrubs such as dwarf conifers, strawberry trees, landscape roses, and photinias. It pairs 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. 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.