Lavandula angustifolia Silbermowe - True Lavender

Lavandula angustifolia 'Silbermöwe' is a very low and very dense variety of lavender, displaying wonderful silver foliage, which is very bright. For two months, it is covered with pure white compact spikes which is superb in front of darker plants. The foliage and flowers are accompanied by a lovely fresh fragrance. The spikes are carried by thin, leafy stems, emerging from evergreen foliage that is even lighter when the soil is dry and the summer is hot. This variety will thrive in a perfectly drained, rocky soil, in full sun.

Lavandula angustifolia, sometimes called English lavender, is a plant of the Lamiaceae family, related to sage, thyme, and rosemary. The 'Silbermöwe' variety is a hybrid form of this plant, which is why it is also found under the name Lavandula x intermedia. It forms an low shrub of small size, not exceeding 30 cm (12in) in all directions. The plant is distinguished by a very compact, dense, and branching habit, forming a bushy and rounded clump. Its decorative and evergreen foliage is composed of narrow aromatic leaves which are a very light colour. In summer, this lavender is covered with a multitude of fragrant and nectar-rich white flowers carried by short cylindrical spikes, at the end of slender woody and leafy stems. In reality, it is the coloured calyxes, which surround the flowers, that influence the perception of the colour of the blooms when viewed from a distance.

Lavender 'Silbermöwe' is a hardy variety, but like most other lavenders, it needs to be planted in full sun in a very well-draining soil (even a rocky soil), on a slope or in a rockery. In a sunny and warm location, its silver-green foliage will be more radiant and its flowers will exude 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, seaside areas, and even as a low-flowering hedge.

There are endless possibilities for the gardener, with its graphic appearance and small size, the colour of its foliage, and its white flowers.   Lavender 'Silbermöwe' can be associated with small grasses like Stipa pennata or Stipa tenuifolia, which, with their tousled appearance, will contrast with its rounded form and create a harmonious association often found in nature. It also looks wonderful when paired with evening primroses, perennial flax, milkvetches, euphorbias, or placed in front of dark shrubs such as dwarf conifers, strawberry trees, landscape roses, laurel-tin, and photinias. It blends well with Iris germanica, daylilies, and a small bindweed called Convolvulus althaeoides. You can also plant it to create beautiful containers to be placed 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.