Add More of This Beautiful and Aromatic Herb to Your Life

Imagine walking through a purple-hazed field of lavender.

Inhaling slowly, you take in the calming aroma and the world quiets for a moment.

This alluring plant has a hypnotic power over our senses.

Medicinal and Culinary Benefits

For centuries the world has been in love with this evergreen shrub for its culinary and medicinal benefits, not to mention its stunning beauty.

Uses include cosmetics, holistic medicine, essential oils, fragrances, and yes, cooking, both savory and sweet.

Historians trace its origin to the Mediterranean and Old World.  Today it grows all around the world. There are farms in all 50 of the United States with some in our own Texas backyard including Blanco and Fredericksburg in the Texas Hill Country.  Peak blooming season in Texas is May through July.

Grow It or Buy It for Culinary Use

Modern Farmer lists lavender production as one of the five most valuable crops to grow in the United States.  We now even have the U.S. Lavender Growers Association.

France produces more than 30 percent of the world’s lavender.  And it is included in the American version of one of France’s most famous spice blends, herbs de Provence.

Lavender is a perennial with each plant averaging 10 years of production although some plants have been known to live for 20 years.  An acre will produce 300 to 1,800 pounds of dried flowers.

If you can’t make it to a farm, don’t fret.  Growing your own is a low-hassle option.  It loves sandy, well-drained soil.  And culinary lavender is widely available in most grocery stores today.