The size of these plants depends on the species, but many specimens grow up to 4 feet tall and spread. Im pretty good at growing stuff from seed, but had tried lavenders about 6 times. If an individual admires someone, it was customary to show his admiration through the gift of flowers, specifically heather. Violet vs. lilac: lilac is a light shade of violet, whereas violet is too dark. However, Heather plants come in many variants, types, and looks. The heather flowers have a myriad of uses, and have been used for generations to make brooms, to stuff bedding, as part of roof thatching, and to make baskets. In this case, the high altitude is what contributes to the difference in Lavender Fine. This variety has one of the longest bloom times, starting in spring and continuing to produce flowers throughout the summer. Rosemary, a silvery-tinted plant with needle-like foliage, is strikingly similar to lavender. The Answer May Surprise You. Its full-bodied fragrance provides a pleasant, peaceful scent that promotes calm and relaxation when diffused. They also do well on rockeries, depending on the variety. It has long lasting blooms of dark purple flowers that have an unmistakable and very strong scent. Goldsworth Crimson is a great option for ground cover, as it only gets to 5 inches tall. If you want an option for a shadier spot in your garden, Anne Sparks is for you, as it cannot stand direct sunlight. Also known as the Scottish heather, Firefly produces purple and red flowers, though these can vary during the season. Lavender (Lavandula) and heather (Calluna) are two of the easiest plants to grow, depending on your location and climate zone. While pets can be attracted to these blooms, you should know that this plant is poisonous to pets, so it might not be a good option if you have a lot of furry visitors in your garden. This variety is much more commonly cultivated and is typical in gardens and containers. A wonderful plant to cover slopes very fast, as it os a fast and vigorous grower, lavandin Grosso also has very long spikes of flower (6 inches long, or 15 cm) of that typical violet shade we associate with lavender. LavenderTips.com is your one-stop shop for all things lavender. Spacing: plant them between 24 and 30 inches apart (60 to 75 cm). Lavender plants are best planted out into the garden in mid spring, just as the weather is starting to warm up. Heath flowers are from the Erica genus, and grow in notably harsher, colder conditions. It yields and oil used in medicine and perfumery. It can turn whole fields into oases of peace and beauty; it is the all time favorite of pollinators, and this alone makes her special among plants, It creates seas of beauty and color and, well placed in your garden, it can turn it into a hazy but glittering dream, Maybe it is thanks to its intoxicating scent, maybe that galaxy of purple flowers, with lavender, really, the divide between waking and sleeping becomes blurred, and with her, we all slip off into a fantastic, light and peaceful world of dreams. Heaths generally grow about 12 in. The symbolism of the heather flower can be found here, and the origins of the common name can be found here. If you are allergic, find a suitable bee control method to protect yourself. Westwood Yellow stays low to the ground at a maximum of 6 inches tall. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Erica is found in Europe, Africa, and Russia. Dark Beauty needs full sun and well-draining soil. A very decorative cultivar that adapts well to city and courtyard gardens as well as patios or containers, and which looks less naturalized and more garden center and urban than other lavandin varieties, Hidcote Giant won the Award of Harden Merit if the Royal Horticultural Society in 2002. If youre looking for the characteristic lavender smell, choose English lavender. Butterfly Lavender Papillon (Lavandula pedunculata subsp. Lavender leaves have a light floral flavor with subtle notes of wood and fruit. Portuguese Lavender (Lavandula latifolia), 17. Whatever type of heather plant you choose, it will add a wealth of color to your garden. Lavender as an evergreen shrub grows upright and produces sweet-smelling, colorful flowers. Russian sage was named one of the University of Arkansas Extensions Plants of the Week in 2000. Lavender noun a pale purple colour, like that of the lavender flower. Like any other Heather on our list, the Bell Heather dislikes alkaline soil. This heath plant features grayish green leaves, which contrast perfectly with the light pink flowers with dark tips, produced during the winter months. Of a purple colour with a tint with pink and blue. This will allow the plant's root system to become established before the onset of the summer heat. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. However, if we go off of general descriptions, Heather typically has a purplish or bluish hue to it while Lavender is more of a light purple color. The flowers are a darker, vibrant purple . It has a spacing of 15-18 inches. This one needs a little more maintenance, where it needs a yearly pruning, and requires acidic soil in order to grow properly. Lavender In The Garden, Zone 8 Lavender Plants: Is Lavender Hardy To Zone 8, Spanish Lavender Plants - How To Grow Spanish Lavender In The Garden, Tips For Repotting Bird Of Paradise Plants, Tips For Repotting Fiddle Leaf Fig Plants, What Is A Tipu Tree: How To Grow A Tipuana Tree, Pruning Fuchsia Plants Learn How And When To Prune Fuchsias, Zone 9 Tropical Plants: Tips On Growing Tropical Gardens In Zone 9, Zone 9 Full Sun Plants: Growing Plants And Shrubs For Zone 9 Sun Gardens, Home & Garden Marketplace: Advertiser Info. What is the difference between heath and Heather? The plants grow up to 8 inches in length and 14 inches in width. It's a rare but beautiful example of a heather plant variant. They grow from about 4-20 inches tall, and they come in many unique varieties that's slight differences in their genetic make-up. Hi, I'm Matt! Along with the other types of lavender, you have plenty of options to choose the right variety for your home or garden. Main Difference. These are hybrids of L. angustifolia and L. latifolia. If you like the idea of white heath flowers, but you may find the likes of Snow Princess to be too white, Ice Princess is for you. Heather dislikes having to deal with dirty soil and water. blooms can last all the way through winter, Top 27 Fascinating Black and Very Dark Flowers For Your Garden, Help My Orchid Is Dying! This heath plant blooms in a lovely dark pink, with contrasting crimson sepals. There are many plants similar to lavender in both appearance and fragrance. If you do not live in a very dry region, Provence may be your best choice, as it is well known for being the best variety for humid summers. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Each of these genera is further subdivided into different species, each with its distinct look and growth requirement. Winter Chocolate can grow up to 20 inches high and blossom around August and October. a pale purple colour, like that of the lavender flower. Heather has little floral notes, but it is earthy and herb-like in appearance, making it difficult to describe. The inflorescence is a cyme with 2-6 flowers in one order. It will also grow to a maximum height of 6 inches. King George produces deep pink flowers from December through until April, and spreads very easily. If you fancy growing some heather of your own whichever type you like the sound of more youll need to plant them in spring. The plethora of flowers add tremendous color to any space, and this is how they can be seen for miles in their natural habitat. English lavender is Lavendula angustifolia. Thumbelina Leigh English Lavender (Lavandula Angustifolia Thumbelina Leigh), 6. Do this until you have removed all plant parts, including runners. To keep the two scents distinct; in fact, the fragrance of Portuguese lavender, which is very strong but less valuable than that of English lavender. On arrival, unpack them straight away and stand them in water until the compost is moist. The Spike lavender (Lavandula Spica) yields a coarser oil (oil of spike), used in the arts. If you want a sweetly cheeky variety of English lavender, Little Lottie is a bit different from her sisters because the flowers are of two colors: some are white and some light magenta, and they mix in the inflorescences, forming myriad combinations of purity and soft feelings.This secured the Award of Garden Merit by the Royal Horticultural Society for Little Lottie in 2002, and has made her one of the most popular varieties of English lavender for pots and containers. It does not like very fertile soil; it prefers poor soil, light soil, which means not rich in organic matter. The scent of the hedge will fill the air for miles around, making it an ideal addition to a garden or balcony. The stems with the inflorescences have an upright habit, which makes the ears pop out of the foliage like rabbits peaking out of the grass, and the leaves too are aromatic. Its worth mentioning that when we refer to the heather, we can actually mean two different plants, the heather and the heath, and while they are part of the same plant family, Ericaceae, they are different plants entirely. Jana features dark pink blooms which grow tightly together in clusters, and produce a wealth of color. The plant itself can grow up to 8 inches tall. They have different qualities and even smells, and even differing visual qualities, habits and needs. One of the hardier heath plants, Orient produces lilac and pink blooms from February until April, despite any adverse weather the season may throw at it. Heather typically grows to be about two feet tall and has small, pink, bell-shaped flowers. It produces lavender blooms which are heavily scented, and the plant itself grows to a maximum height of 8 inches. She has a Bachelor of Arts in English with a creative writing concentration from Marietta College. Kinlochruel is only one of two heathers which produces white blooms in a double-flowered shape from August until October, where it puts on a fantastic display. How much care plugs require before being planted out varies by their size: This makes these flowers all the more important. Many people confuse heath for Heather and vice versa. While each variety will have its own needs, there are some guidelines you should follow for all lavender: Sunlight Exposure:Lavender always needs full Sun, which meansat least6 hours of direct and bright sunlight every day. Flowering dogwood trees, shady willow trees and tropical palm trees all come in various sizes and work well for front yards or backyard gardens. The winter chocolate is a delightful ornamental, and it fits perfectly well into many gardens. What's Cooking America - Lavender - Culinary Lavender, University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources: Lavenders for California Gardens, Santa Cruz Sentinel: Lavender Not Just for Soap Anymore. When Will French Lavender Arrive On The US Market? French lavender is Lavendula dentata and it is not actually that commonly cultivated, although we often think of France when picturing fields of lavender. Small trees can be a final touch, providing scale and shade. At the end of the day, choosing the right lavender depends entirely upon your preference. They both spread out considerably and, if left alone, can end up growing together. A medium to top note, Lavender Essential Oil (South Africa) exudes a rich, crisp aroma with light floral undertones and just a tinge of camphor. Pink, red, amethyst, purple, green, gold, silver, and white Heather plants are found in a variety of colors. During late summer, you'd get a complimentary lavender look that feels so amazing. It is not usually used for oil or essential oil. Lavandula (common name lavender) is a genus of 47 known species of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae.It is native to the Old World and is found in Cape Verde and the Canary Islands, and from Europe across to northern and eastern Africa, the Mediterranean, southwest Asia to India.. Pull the lavender carefully through the heather branches. Heather noun It is less hardy than English lavender, which makes it unsuitable for colder climates. The firefly flower plants can grow up to 20 inches in length. As an adjective lavender is having a pale purple colour. Hidcote English Lavender (Lavandula Angustifolia Hidcote), 2. As with any fertilizer it should be watered in. Pitcher sage, blue sage, and prairie sage are all species of sage that have similar height, width, and growing conditions to lavender. This variant of heather "Jana" has a unique growth requirement that depends on the season when you choose to plant them. While Daboecia is mainly only found in Ireland. Bright lavender, Medium lavender magenta, Lavender pink and lavender magenta. It produces bright pink and white blooms, and gets to a maximum of 25 inches tall. Height: Up to 1 foot. As nouns the difference between lavender and heather is that lavender is any of a group of European plants, genus, Lavandula, of the mint family while heather is an evergreen plant, species: Calluna vulgaris, with spiky leaves and small purple, pink, or white flowers. French Lavender With Love (Lavandula stoechas With Love), 12. 'Pastor's Pride' English Lavender. In preference, this variant of Heather prefers well-drained and moist soil. Suitable for zones 7 - 9. The pink stars are not just another random selection of Heather; they have a bell shape subtle and pink-colored flowers that bloom in late spring or early fall. This variety needs semi-dry soil to thrive, and somewhere in full sun. Wearing gloves when dealing with woody or poky plants can help, as can long sleeves. The spikes with the flowers tend to come in groups of three; each stem divides before the inflorescence and gives us a few. Russian sage leaves are fragrant as well, but not as strongly as lavender. Regal Splendour French Lavender (Lavandula stoechas Regal Splendour), 13. A smaller variety, Aphrodite reaches around 12 inches high, and needs full sun in order to produce its vivid red flowers. One of the most compact varieties, 'Thumbelina Leigh' grows dark bluish-lavender plump flower spikes with a strong and pleasant scent. Shades. It also produces pink tubular flowers. Which of the types of lavender are good for human consumption, most web sites dont tell you that. This is largely because lilac is poisonous when consumed, while lavender is an aromatic plant that perfumes teas and baked goods beautifully. Essential oils are the constituents that dissolve in oil. The heath only refers to species within the genus Erica, while Heather refers to species within the genus heather. Little Lottie English Lavender (Lavandula Angustifolia Little Lottie), 8. You may hear them called 'lavandin' or by their variety or cultivar name. Then just focus on the lavender -- especially if the heather is older and more established. Heaths are usually smaller and less colorful than heathers. The flowers are dark pink, having light green foliage to compliment. You can use lavender for ornamental purposes in your gardens, as edging or to add a pop of color to your herb garden. Ideally, set up a completely new growing area for the lavender plants. Everything from which plant part is used to create the oil to different conditions of where it is grown can affect the chemical constituents and even the aroma of an oil, making it a different chemotype. The heath plant itself grows to a maximum height of 6 inches. Broadleaved lavender, spiked lavender or Lavandula latifolia is also known as Portuguese lavender. It usually only blooms once a year from January until April, and grows to a maximum height of 7 inches. Lavender is a plant to look at, smell and love. Heather flowers also add a lot of color to gardens, pots, balconies, and terraces as ornamental plants. They are often used for the same purposes and have many of the same properties, but they are not the same plant. While Rosantha only has a short flowering season in March and April, the flowers put on a great display with their dark pink blooms. This is due to the characteristics of evergreen and pattern flowers with a unique overlay that makes the plants stand out from a bunch of wild plants. Royal Velvet English Lavender (Lavandula Angustifolia Royal Velvet), 9. Lavender heather is a symbol of loneliness in addition to being a symbol of isolation. Humidity:Lavender does not like humid atmosphere; it likes dry regions, and, if summers get wet, it may become moldy and lose fragrance. Hidcote English Lavender (Lavandula Angustifolia Hidcote), 2. Debra J. Rigas, a professional writing coach, has been a writer and editor since 1975. They are grown as ornamental plants and hedges, providing a wealth of planting options which are nearly limitless. Often, the hardest part of growing lavenders is deciding which type of lavender is best suited for your climate and available growing space. The pH can be neutral, acidic or alkaline, between 6.0 and 8.0. Grosso Lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia Grosso), 19. (transitive) To decorate or perfume with lavender. Lavandula stoechas has a more resinous scent than English lavender; it is very strong, but less sophisticated. The Calluna type can be found in the wilderness in Europe, North America, and Southern Asia. Vines come as both annuals and perennials. On the other hand, lavender is resistant to drought, dry soil and rocky soil. Grow it in your garden, in pots, or on your terrace and you too can have that Mediterranean sunny peace typical of Provence that only lavender can create. English lavender produces a high-quality oil that is most closely associated with the true "lavender" fragrance. Heather is a member of the Ericaceae family and the scientific name for heather is Calluna vulgaris. Cecelia M. Beale needs acidic soil in order to get the best out of the plant, and they make perfect low-growing border hedges at 6 inches tall. pedunculata), Portuguese Lavender (Lavandula latifolia), 16. Despite its many names, it is one species only.It is a type of lavender that comes from the Mediterranean, known for its scent and aromatic properties, but if you grow it, keep it separate from English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia). The Lamiaceae, or mint family, is the seventh largest among flowering plant families and encompasses about 7,000 species. Lavender essential oil tends to have a . The size of these plants depends on the species, but many specimens grow up to 4 feet tall and spread to a width of 3 feet or more.