If you are growing lavender in your garden then you are well-acquainted with its natural beauty and sweetly soothing fragrance. When in bloom there is nothing quite like running your hands through lavender flowers gently dancing in the breeze and letting the gentle aroma envelope your senses.
How do we capture lavender's beauty and fragrance when the bloom has passed? Many varieties of lavender are well-suited for drying for use throughout the year.
Which lavender varieties are good for drying?
There are many species and many, many varieties of lavender. Some dry very well, while others do not. There are three species of lavender that are most commonly grown in home gardens...
- Lavandula angustifolia
- Lavandula x intermedia
- Lavandula stoechas
Most varieties of Lavandula angustifolia and Lavandula x intermedia will dry well. Varieties of Lavandula stoechas (these varieties are the ones that look like they have "rabbit ears" or "butterflies" on the top of their flowerheads) are best suited for landscaping as they do not dry well.
Our favorite lavender varieties for drying
For dried florals, we prefer Lavandula x intermedia "Grosso", Lavandula angustifolia "Royal Purple" and Lavandula angustifolia "Hidcote". These varieties hold their color well and have strong fragrance.
For culinary uses, our favorite variety is Lavandula x intermedia "Provence". This is the lavender you'll find in all of our culinary products. This variety does not keep its color very well, but we don't find that to be a problem when using it in delicious recipes.
When should lavender be harvested for drying
How to dry lavender
- Cut a bunch of stalks long enough to hang (avoid harvesting when the lavender is wet)
- Secure the stalks with a rubber band
- Hang in a cool, dark place with lots of air circulation for several weeks until thoroughly dry (add a fan if needed to keep the air moving and prevent mold)
A few things to note about dried lavender
Some varieties lose most of their purple color when dry resulting in a green/gray hue to the buds. Some varieties also become brittle when dried. While this is not ideal for projects like wreaths, it's great when the goal is to strip the stalks and use only the aromatic buds (think filling sachets for use in the closet).