Broadleaf lavender

Lavandula latifolia, spike lavender or broadleaf lavender, is a strongly aromatic evergreen shrub in the family Lamiaceae growing 30–80 cm tall. From a much-branched woody base it produces tufts of grey-green, lance-shaped to broadly oblong leaves 3–6 cm long and 5–8 mm wide, distinctly broader than those of L. angustifolia; the foliage is densely clothed in short hairs that give it a soft, hoary aspect. Slender, square, leafless flowering stems 20–50 cm long arise from the foliage mound and carry interrupted, branched spikes of small two-lipped pale lilac flowers 2–5 cm long. The fruit consists of four small nutlets retained inside the persistent calyx. Native to the western Mediterranean basin (France, Italy, Portugal and Spain), it grows on dry, sunny limestone slopes from sea level to about 1,700 m, often replacing L. angustifolia at lower, hotter elevations. Spike lavender essential oil, rich in eucalyptol and linalool, is distilled commercially for fragrance, soap making and aromatherapy.