Lavender and lavandin are two plants from the same family, cultivated in the same way yet, they possess distinct properties and uses. Generally, the term "Lavender" encompasses lavandin, which makes differentiating these two species very challenging. Here are the main points of comparison that will help you see more clearly and distinguish them quickly.

  • Reproduction method

Lavender is an original plant; it naturally reproduces by seeds and can be found in the wild. Lavandin, on the other hand, is a hybrid species, resulting from a crossbreeding of several lavender species. Its hybridization makes it sterile, thus its reproduction is only possible through cuttings.

  • Visual description

Lavender fields are generally much more heterogeneous than lavandin fields, simply because lavender reproduces naturally, whereas lavandin is a hybrid species, so each lavandin plant will be nearly identical. Additionally, lavender is about 50 centimeters tall and features a single floral spike per stem, unlike lavandin, which has longer stems (60 to 80 centimeters) and multiple spikes per stem.

  • Geographical Distribution

True lavender grows in regions at a minimum altitude of 800 meters, in dry and calcareous areas, whereas lavandin has been designed to grow relatively everywhere.

  • Quality and Yield

Lavender produces a much more refined essential oil with a very floral and subtle scent compared to lavandin, which has a rough and more pungent smell due to the high amount of camphor present in the flower. However, in terms of yield, it takes about 100kg of flowers to make 1L of lavender essential oil, while for lavandin, only 40kg of flowers are needed for 1L of essential oil. Therefore, lavender produces a higher quality oil, but lavandin allows for a better yield.

  • Uses

Lavandin is the more profitable species. Therefore, it is used more extensively in the cosmetic and household industry, while lavender is primarily used in perfumery since it produces a much more potent and pleasant scent. Lavender is also primarily used for its more significant therapeutic properties than lavandin.

Be careful not to confuse them when cooking!

Lavender is edible; we can use its flower and essential oil in our culinary preparations. However, this is not the case for lavandin. Be careful not to use the lavender from your garden as an ingredient because it is very likely lavandin!