Lavender plants have a calming scent that may help with relaxation and sleep, and they attract pollinators.
Benefits
- Calming scent. Lavender oil capsules (Silexan) reduced anxiety in clinical trials.
- May improve sleep quality.
- Attracts bees and butterflies.
- Repels some pests.
- Ornamental and drought tolerant.
Growing
Needs full sun and well drained soil. Hardy in zones 5 to 9.
Uses
Sachets, teas and culinary use (English lavender).
Caution
Essential oil can irritate skin.
Documented effects
Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) essential oil is studied for anxiety. A silexan capsule, an oral lavender oil preparation (80 mg), reduced anxiety scores in several randomized trials and is approved as a drug in Germany. Aromatherapy studies for sleep show modest improvements, especially for mild sleep problems.
- The plant’s flowers contain linalool and linalyl acetate, which drive its scent and calming effect.
- Dried lavender sachets repel moths in folk use, though evidence is limited.
- Honeybees and other pollinators visit lavender heavily.
Growing and caution
Lavender prefers full sun, well-drained alkaline soil and low water, and hardy English types survive to about USDA zone 5. Plants should be pruned after flowering. Lavender oil should be diluted for skin, because undiluted oil can irritate. A 2007 study in the New England Journal of Medicine linked lavender and tea tree oils to prepubertal gynecomastia in three boys, though causality remains debated. Toxicity to cats and dogs is possible if eaten in quantity.
Documented effects
Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) contains linalool and linalyl acetate. Silexan, a standardized lavender oil capsule, has been tested in randomized trials for anxiety. A meta analysis of trials found it reduced anxiety scores more than placebo and comparably to low dose lorazepam in one trial of 539 patients published in 2010, and the European Medicines Agency recognizes traditional herbal use for relief of mild stress. Studies of inhaled lavender for sleep show small improvements in sleep quality, but results vary in quality.
Growing and caution
Lavender grows well in full sun, with well drained soil and low water in USDA zones 5 to 9. Bees and butterflies are attracted to the flowers. Plants are usually hardy and need pruning after bloom. Essential oil should be diluted before skin use, since undiluted lavender oil can cause irritation. A 2007 report linked repeated topical lavender and tea tree oil to breast tissue growth in prepubertal boys, though causation is debated. Do not swallow essential oil. Keep oils away from pets, since cats are sensitive to some essential oils.
Evidence for sleep and mood
A 2014 randomized trial of lavender inhalation in older adults found improved sleep quality scores. A review in Phytomedicine found oral Silexan 80 mg daily reduced anxiety on the Hamilton scale by about 9 to 12 points over 6 to 10 weeks. Lavender is also used for minor burns and insect bites in traditional medicine, though studies are limited.
Garden facts
English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) tolerates cold down to USDA zone 5. French and Spanish lavenders are more tender. Plants need pH 6.5 to 8, little fertilizer and full sun of 6 or more hours. Harvest buds when a third of flowers have opened. Lavender is toxic to cats, dogs and horses in large amounts due to linalool, according to the ASPCA.
Based on data from the European Medicines Agency and the ASPCA
