LAVANDULA x allardii

Vigorous hybrid of the Lavandula genus, perennial and evergreen, with fast growth and a globular and thick bushy habit, native to the western Mediterranean: probably the largest lavender, in a few years of cultivation can grow more than 1 m tall and roughly the same large. Branched and well lignified from the base, it has numerous stems: some of these are upward oriented, vertical and erect, some are spread along the branches so that the plant assumes a compact and rounded shape. The leaves, oppositely arranged, are lanceolate with acute apex. Margins are smooth towards the petiole and lobed towards the tip, they are tomentose, velvety, grey-green and intensely aromatic. In summer and until the beginning of autumn, thin and long stems rise on the leaf mass, culminating in slender spike inflorescences formed by tiny purple flowers, capable of attracting clouds of bees and insects in general.

It prefers sunny or very bright locations and poor but above all permeable and well drained soils. It tolerates even prolonged periods of drought and withstands saltiness of sea winds in coastal locations. It resists minimum winter temperatures a few degrees below zero, and therefore in regions with intense and prolonged cold it is advisable to choose a sheltered position or in winter guarantee it shelter in a cool and bright environment. In autumn it is possible to intervene by removing, together with the withered stems, dry, broken or bulky parts and shortening all the stems even generously taking care, however, to cut them in the herbaceous part without affecting the woody one, which has not got a good recovery capacity: with this methodical annual operation, plants with increasingly dense foliage will be obtained. With a rapid growth and equally fast physiological aging, it is suitable to be cultivated on terraces and balconies in large pots and containers, taking particular care of the draining aspect; in the open ground it is perfect for creating, by arranging several specimens in sequence, borders with easy maintenance and a definitely Mediterranean flavor: imagine it also in mixed edges, together with other essences with contrasting foliage or complementary blooms. Alternatively make it the absolute protagonist of flower beds and corners of the garden, which it will be able to illuminate in every season of the year with its silvery color.