Lavender Edelweiss

It complements other drought-tolerant perennials and herbs that have similar requirements for sun and poorer soil perfectly. It looks beautiful in combination with roses, thyme, sage, santolina, or ornamental grasses. Additionally, its white flowers create a wonderful contrast if you plant it right next to classic purple Lavender cultivars.

It is a cultivar of Lavandula intermedia with beautiful, pure white flowers. It belongs to the tallest white-flowering lavenders, as it grows to a height of 70 to 90 cm. It stands out for its very robust growth and wonderful fragrance. An important feature is that it blooms about two weeks later than common English lavender, with the main flowering period occurring in July and August.

Lavender Edelweiss is extremely hardy and essentially does not suffer from pests or diseases. Its strong aromatic oils even naturally repel aphids, ticks, and other insects in the flower bed. The only problem that may occur is root rot, which only happens due to cultivation errors (overwatering in heavy clay soils).

Yes! The plant is completely safe and edible, and it is not poisonous to pets either. You can use the flowers to make homemade lavender syrups, to decorate desserts, in cookies, or as part of Herbes de Provence. Thanks to its pure white color, it looks very elegant in desserts and drinks.

Definitely yes. Although 'Edelweiss' has pure white flowers, its intoxicating fragrance and massive amount of nectar make it a literal magnet for bees, bumblebees, and butterflies. It is an excellent nectar-rich plant that is guaranteed to enliven your garden and attract beneficial insects.

This plant literally loves full sun and a warm location. Crucial for it is permeable, sandy, and rather poor soil that warms up well. It is important that the soil never retains too much water. Waterlogging does not suit Lavender and could lead to root rot.

Yes, the seedling can be grown without any problems in a sufficiently large and deep container. However, it is absolutely necessary to ensure perfect drainage (e.g., a layer of expanded clay at the bottom) and use a permeable substrate with sand. When growing in a container, take care not to overwater the plant, and in winter, wrap the pot with burlap or evergreen branches so that the root ball does not freeze through completely.

Definitely! Lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia) naturally has very long and sturdy stems. This makes it ideal for cutting for fresh summer bouquets. It stays fresh in a vase of water for a long time, looks beautiful, and will also wonderfully fragrance your entire interior.

For drying, harvest the flowers when the first lower florets on the spike begin to open (ideally during July). Harvest in dry and sunny weather, ideally in the morning after the dew has evaporated, when they contain the highest amount of aromatic oils. Tie the stems into small bundles and hang them flower-down to dry in a dark, well-ventilated place.

Lavandula intermedia, which includes our white 'Edelweiss' cultivar, is a hybrid between English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) and Portuguese lavender (Lavandula latifolia), often called lavandin. It is characterized by a generally more robust growth, longer stems, larger flower spikes, and a higher content of essential oils. This is why these long-lived perennials are widely grown on a large scale for the cosmetics and food industries.

Since it is a hybrid, the plant does not self-seed and growing it from seeds is not suitable (they are often sterile). The best and fastest method to propagate an already purchased plant is vegetative propagation using semi-hardwood cuttings. Take these at the end of summer, remove the lower leaves, and insert them into a well-draining substrate mixed with sand, where they will reliably root by spring.

Woodiness and drying out from the bottom is a natural aging process for Lavender, which accelerates significantly if the plant is neglected. If you skip the regular spring pruning, the bushes will become leggy and the lower parts will turn unsightly and woody. Lavender very rarely and reluctantly sprouts again from such old, neglected wood.