Lavender – Lavandula officinalis
Just thinking of a lavender field in Provence is enough to conjure up the flowery scent of the plant in your mind's eye. Its wonderful smell and pretty purple flowers make it a popular garden plant. But it also has equally attractive inner values: it has a strongly calming healing effect.
The blue-purple miracle
Fields of application
The essential oils of lavender alter the activity of ion channels and receptors. This explains its calming, antispasmodic, nerve-strengthening and antibacterial effect. Lavender oil helps with mild symptoms of stress and exhaustion, states of agitation and over-excitement of the nervous It reduces the time it takes to fall asleep and increases the duration of sleep. The medicinal plant is therefore often used as an ingredient in pillow fillings, often in combination with hops or lemon balm. Due to its antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects, diluted essential oil is used externally as Lavender also has an antispasmodic effect on abdominal complaints. As a folk remedy, lavender is known to treat flatulence, colic, nausea and headaches.
Botanical characteristics
Lavender is a subshrub that can grow up to half a metre in height. The branches are erect with lanceolate leaves and usually 6 to 10 flowers, which bloom from July to August. Lavender is native to the western Mediterranean, but is also popular in our gardens. The lavender used for medicinal purposes comes from crops and the leaves are harvested as soon as the flowers of the rosemary have opened.