Pink English lavender Lavandula angustifolia 'Rosea'

👤 Non-toxic to humans

🐾 Non-toxic to pets

🌸 Blooming

🍪 Edible

‍🌱 Easy-care

ABOUT

A bushy, compact evergreen shrub with narrow linear silver-grey leaves bearing prolific spikes of fragrant, pale pink flowers in summer.

Plant Info

Care

Common Problems

About this plant

Names
- Family
  Lamiaceae
- Synonyms
  Pink Lavender, Rosea Lavender
- Common names
  Lavandula officinalis 'Rosea', Lavandula vera 'Rosea', Lavandula spica 'Rosea'.
Characteristics
- Life cycle
  Perennials
- Foliage type
  Evergreen
- Color of leaves
  Gray-green
- Flower color
  Pink
- Height
  2 feet (0.61 meters)
- Spread
  3 feet (0.91 meters)
- Plant type
  Shrub
- Hardiness zones
  5
- Native area
  Mediterranean

Benefits

General Benefits
- Aesthetic Appeal: Lavender 'Rosea' has soft pink flowers, providing a unique color variation compared to the usual purple lavender, enhancing the visual diversity of gardens.
- Fragrance: The plant emits a pleasant aroma which can create a calming and relaxing atmosphere in gardens and outdoor spaces.
- Attracts Pollinators: Bees and butterflies are attracted to the flowers, which helps to pollinate plants and support local ecosystems.
- Drought Tolerance: Once established, lavender 'Rosea' is highly tolerant of drought conditions, making it suitable for xeriscaping and water-wise gardens.
- Low Maintenance: This variety of lavender does not require a lot of care, making it a convenient choice for gardeners of all skill levels.
- Culinary Use: The flowers and leaves can be used to flavor baked goods, jellies, and other dishes, with the pink blooms adding a decorative touch.
- Landscape Design Versatility: Perfect for borders, herb gardens, or as a low hedge, providing structure and color to various garden designs.
Medical Properties
- Anxiolytic effects: Lavender is commonly used for its calming and relaxing properties, which may help alleviate anxiety.
- Sleep aid: The fragrance of lavender is thought to help improve sleep quality and aids in treating insomnia.
- Analgesic properties: It is sometimes applied to the skin for pain relief, including joint pain and headaches.
- Antiseptic and anti-inflammatory: Lavender has antiseptic properties that can help to prevent infection and it is used topically for minor burns and insect bites due to its anti-inflammatory effects.
- Gastrointestinal relief: Lavender tea is traditionally used in some cultures to help with digestive issues such as nausea and gas.
Air-purifying Qualities
This plant is not specifically known for air purifying qualities.
Other Uses
- Lavender sachets can deter moths when placed in closets or drawers, protecting clothing, especially wool, from damage.
- Unconventional cooking ingredient, lavender can infuse sugar for a unique flavor twist in baking recipes.
- Used in the crafting of homemade soap, it provides a natural scent and color without artificial additives.
- When included in candles, lavender emits a soothing fragrance that enhances the atmosphere in any room.
- Lavender water made by steeping the plant in water can be used as a natural linen spray for freshening fabrics.
- As a natural dye, the blossoms yield shades of pink and purple when used in the dyeing of fabrics or wool.
- In the art of bookbinding, lavender's dried flowers can be used to create decorative botanical inlays on book covers.
- Integrated into potpourri, dried lavender helps maintain a pleasant scent within the home for a long duration.
- Lavender flower spikes can be used as natural firelighters, offering a fragrant start to an open fire or barbecue.
- As a flavor enhancement, lavender adds a floral note to jams, honey, and refreshing summer drinks like lemonade.

Interesting Facts

Feng Shui
Lavender is believed to promote relaxation, tranquility, and purification. In Feng Shui, it can be used in the bedroom or living areas to create a calm atmosphere and improve sleep quality. It is also considered to help with emotional healing and can be placed in the meditation or healing space of a home.
Zodiac Sign Compitability
The lavender is not used in astrology practice.
Plant Symbolism
- Calmness: Lavender is widely known for its soothing scent and is often associated with relaxation and calmness, helping to alleviate stress and anxiety.
- Purity: The color of 'Rosea' lavender, which is a light pink, often symbolizes purity and innocence, amplifying lavender's traditional association with cleanliness.
- Devotion: Giving lavender to someone can signify love and devotion as it's a plant that needs careful tending to flourish, much like a devoted relationship.
- Healing: Historically, lavender has been used for its medicinal properties, symbolizing healing and the restoration of body and mind.
- Silence: Due to its calming effects, lavender can represent silence, encouraging a peaceful and meditative environment.
- Grace: The delicate nature of lavender flowers can symbolize grace and refinement, often bringing a sense of elegance to gardens and floral arrangements.
- Protection: In some folklore, lavender is believed to ward off evil spirits, thus symbolizing protection.

💧

Every 1-2 weeks

Water

☀️

2500 - 10000 Lux

Light

💦️

Humidity

🪴

Every 3-4 years

Repotting

🌱️

Spring-Early Summer

Propogation

✂️️

As needed

Pruning

Water
English Lavender should be watered deeply but infrequently, as it prefers a more arid environment. Aim to water this plant once every one to two weeks, allowing the soil to dry out between watering sessions. During the hotter summer months, your lavender may require more frequent watering, but be cautious not to overwater as this can lead to root rot. When watering, use approximately a gallon of water per plant, ensuring it is evenly distributed around the base of the plant without wetting the foliage too much. In cooler weather or when established, English Lavender's water needs decrease, and it may require less frequent watering.
Light
English Lavender thrives best in full sunlight, ideally receiving at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight per day. A south-facing spot is typically ideal for this plant, ensuring it gets ample light throughout the day. Avoid placing it in areas with significant shade, as this can hamper its growth and blooming potential.
Temperature
English Lavender is hardy and can withstand a range of temperatures but prefers a moderate climate. It can survive minimum winter temperatures down to about 10°F, and during its growing season, it enjoys day temperatures between 60°F and 70°F. However, it can tolerate summer temperatures exceeding 90°F as long as adequate air circulation and soil conditions are maintained.
Pruning
English Lavender should be pruned annually to maintain its shape and promote robust growth. Prune in the spring after the last frost or in early fall, trimming back approximately a third of the growth. Regular pruning helps prevent the plant from becoming woody and encourages the growth of fresh, fragrant flowers. The best time for a deeper prune to revitalize older plants is in the spring.
Cleaning
Not needed
Soil
Pink Lavender thrives in well-drained, sandy or gravelly soil with a pH between 6.7 and 7.3. A mix of one-third garden soil, one-third sand or perlite, and one-third compost or organic matter is ideal.
Repotting
Pink Lavender, being fairly drought-tolerant and not too demanding, typically requires repotting every 2-3 years, or when it outgrows its current container.
Humidity & Misting
Pink Lavender prefers a dry climate and is tolerant of low humidity levels. High humidity is not suitable, so aim to keep the environment around the plant relatively dry.
Suitable locations
- Indoor
  Place in sunny spot, water sparingly, and ensure good air flow.
- Outdoor
  Full sun, well-drained soil, space plants apart.
- Hardiness zone
  5-9 USDA
Life cycle
Lavandula angustifolia 'Rosea', commonly known as Pink English lavender, begins its life cycle with seed germination, which occurs in warm, well-draining soil with plenty of sunlight. After germination, the plant enters the vegetative stage, forming a compact bush with gray-green foliage and branching stems. As it matures, the plant will produce distinctive pink flowers typically in late spring to early summer, attracting bees and butterflies. After flowering, the plant sets seeds, which can be collected and sown or left to self-seed in suitable growing conditions. The plant may enter a period of dormancy during colder months, depending on the climate. Pink English lavender is a perennial, thus it will regrow from its woody base year after year, completing its life cycle while potentially increasing in size and spread with each growing season.
Propogation
- Propogation time
  Spring-Early Summer
- Lavandula angustifolia 'Rosea', commonly known as Pink English Lavender, is most effectively propagated through semi-hardwood cuttings. This method is usually performed in late summer when the plant's growth begins to slow and the stems are not as tender as they are in spring. To propagate, a gardener should select a healthy, non-flowering stem and cut a 3 to 4 inch (approximately 7.5 to 10 cm) portion just below a node, where leaves emerge. The leaves at the lower half of the cutting should be removed and the cut end can be dipped in rooting hormone to encourage growth. It should then be planted in a well-draining potting mix, ensuring that the node where the leaves were removed is buried as roots will develop from this point. The cutting should be kept moist and in a warm environment until roots have established, which typically takes a few weeks.