On the Valensole plateau, our family has grown lavender and lavandin since 1932. Four generations, the same land, and a distillation that has stayed traditional. Lavandin is the plant you see stretching to the horizon in July: big blue-violet bushes in perfect rows. Here is everything you need to know about it, from organic lavender growers.
What is lavandin? Latin name and origin
Lavandin (Lavandula × intermedia) is a natural hybrid between the two great families of lavender:
- true lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), which grows at altitude;
- spike lavender (Lavandula latifolia), which grows lower down.
Where the two met, bees cross-pollinated them and lavandin was born. It is sterile: it produces no viable seeds, so it is propagated by cuttings. Every plant of a given variety is a clone of the original.
Like all lavenders, it belongs to the Lamiaceae family.
Lavender or lavandin: how to tell them apart
- Size: lavandin forms big round bushes, true lavender stays smaller.
- Flower spikes: long and branched on lavandin, a single spike per stem on lavender.
- Altitude: lavandin grows from 200 m, true lavender higher, from around 500 m. On the Valensole plateau, we grow both.
- Scent: stronger and slightly camphorous for lavandin, softer and more floral for lavender.
- Yield: a field of lavandin gives far more essential oil than a field of true lavender.
Find out more: lavender or lavandin?
Lavandin varieties: grosso, super, sumian
Three varieties dominate on the Valensole plateau:
- Grosso: by far the most widely grown, here and everywhere else. It is also the most fragrant. Its intense scent makes it the lavandin of laundry products, soaps and household cleaners. It is the lavandin in our fields and in our organic lavandin essential oil.
- Super: softer, less camphorous, closer to true lavender. Often used in massage oils. Coming soon to our shop.
- Sumian: rarer, grown in smaller quantities.
From flower to essential oil: distillation
Distillation means passing steam through the flowers to extract their essential oil.
- The cut flowers are packed into a still, through which steam is passed.
- The steam carries away the essential oil contained in the flowers.
- The mixture rises into the swan neck, cools in the coil and turns back into liquid.
- It is collected in the essencier (Florentine flask). The oil, lighter than water, rises to the surface.
The essencier has two taps: the top one collects the essential oil, the bottom one the floral water, called hydrosol.
There are two methods:
- Conventional: flowers and stems are shredded and distilled straight away.
- Traditional: the cut stems dry in the field for at least a day before being distilled whole.
Our way: traditional distillation, as for the past century
We chose the traditional method, the one our great-grandparents already used. The flowers dry in the sun of the plateau, then are distilled whole, without being shredded. It takes longer, but the distillation is gentler and the essential oil gains in finesse: a rounder scent, truer to the plant.
Combined with organic farming since 2002, this is what makes our lavandin essential oil special.
How to use lavandin at home
Thanks to its powerful scent, lavandin is a natural ally for the home:
- Laundry: one capful of essential oil in the wash instead of fabric softener.
- Floors: one capful in the mop bucket.
- Wardrobes: 3 drops on a cloth or a sachet of lavandin flowers to keep moths away.
- Summer evenings: a few drops in a diffuser to keep mosquitoes away.
- Decoration: a dried lavandin bouquet scents a room for months.
Recipe: homemade lavandin air freshener
- 500 ml lukewarm water
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 20 drops lavandin essential oil
- 1 spray bottle
Mix everything in the bottle and shake before each use. Spray on fabrics, rugs or into the air.
More ideas: how to use lavandin, our natural cleaner recipe and lavandin to freshen your home.
Want everything in one go? Discover our Lavandin Home Selection.
Frequently asked questions about lavandin
Is lavandin edible?
No, it is not used in cooking: its camphorous scent is too strong. For cooking, choose true lavender.
Is lavandin toxic?
The plant is harmless to touch. Its essential oil, like all essential oils, is highly concentrated: never swallow it, and always dilute it before applying to the skin.
How does lavandin smell compared to lavender?
True lavender is soft and floral. Lavandin is fresher and stronger, with a camphor note.
When does lavandin bloom?
From late June to late July on the Valensole plateau, before the harvest. All our visit ideas: discovering the Valensole plateau.
More questions about our products, delivery or essential oils? See our FAQ.
Precautions for use
Do not swallow. Do not apply undiluted to the skin. Not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women or young children. Keep out of reach of children. Do a patch test in the crook of the elbow before first use on the skin.
