Lavender | San Diego Zoo Animals & Plants

A lovely addition to any landscape, lavender flourishes best in full sun and dry, well-drained, sandy or gravelly soils. It’s resistant to drought, deer, and hungry rabbits and works well in many gardens, from Mediterranean to English cottage. Here are some of the most common types of lavender—look for them in various landscaping spots around the Zoo and Safari Park.

English lavender Lavandula angustifolia

This is the most well-known and widely grown type of lavender in North America, because it doesn’t mind humidity and winter moisture as much as other lavenders. It’s the type most commonly used in cooking and baking, and has the sweet, soft fragrance most people associate with lavender. English lavender isn't from England, though—it got that name because it grows best in England’s climate. The plant is actually from the Mediterranean.

Spanish lavender Lavandula stoechas

These lavender plants look different from their cousins: the flower heads look a bit like tiny pineapples and are topped with bracts that look like large petals. Spanish lavender loves hot weather and is a better choice for those who garden in warm, humid climates. Its fragrance is different from English lavender as well, with a piney scent from menthol in its oil. That makes it a great landscape plant but not the first choice for use in cooking. It is, however, probably what the ancient Greeks and Romans used to scent their bath water.

French lavender Lavandula dentata

The name French lavender is sometimes applied to Lavandula stoechas, which most sources call Spanish lavender. French lavender is not usually used as a culinary herb and it doesn't have that English lavender fragrance, but it blooms from spring to frost and has a pleasant, clean smell. It gets its species name from its scalloped leaf shape—dentata means “toothed.”

Sweet lavender Lavandula heterophylla

This fast growing, tall lavender plant has leaves that are more green than most species and has flower stalks that can reach two feet in length. From France and Italy, it is not suitable for cooking because of its high menthol content, but it is a great landscape plant and looks good planted in groups. It can survive colder temperatures than some lavender species.

Fernleaf lavender Lavandula multifida

The lobed, silvery-green leaves of this tender shrub give it a delicate, lacy appearance. This species features narrow spikes of fragrant, blue-purple flowers in summer.

Woolly lavender Lavandula lanata

This species has smoky, dark purple blossoms and blooms later in the season than other lavender plants. Its leaves are silver and it makes a nice contrast to dark green plants in the garden.