Lavender

2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29

The unique aroma of lavender there is no equivalent among any other herb. Lavender has been known as an aromatic plant since ancient times. Lavender originates from the Mediterranean region. As a wild plant, it is found in southern France, the coastal Alps, eastern Spain, Italy and North Africa. With the development of the perfume industry, the area of cultivation is expanding, including the Balkan countries, the countries of the Black Sea basin, the United States, Great Britain, Australia and others.

It is widely used even in folk medicine, but is most often used as an herb or as an ornament. Lavender flower is an insecticide, mainly to control the moth and in the civilized world has replaced the use of naphthalene for domestic use. Lavender is a valuable honey plant. From 1 decare the bees collect 10–18 kg of honey. Lavender is also used as a spice. Participates in the famous mixture of spices erb de Provence and this is only a small part of the wide application of this incredibly fragrant color.

Lavender is a genus of plants in the family Ustotsvetni. Adjacent growing shrub or shrub with blue fragrant flowers, often grown in gardens. Lavender is a perennial plant that reaches a height of 40-80 cm.

Flowering stems of the inflorescence of the plant lavender are annuals, reaching 20–40 cm in length. In the case of deciduous lavender they are longer and branched, and their number per plant reaches 1000. Deciduous lavender is characterized by more compact inflorescences. The fruit is monoecious, dry, smooth and oval nut with a shiny black color.

The leaves of lavender are linear or linear-lanceolate, sessile, entire with a downwardly curved periphery. They are located opposite and are covered with trichomes. The peculiarity is that the leaves of the narrow-leaved lavender are gray-green, and the broad-leaved ones are more abundantly covered with hairs and have a whitish color. Lavender is an evergreen plant and changes its leaves sequentially.

The flowers of lavender are small, bisexual, arranged annularly in the inflorescence class. The corolla is a two-lipped funnel - with two long parts on the upper lip and 3 short parts on the lower. It is colored in white, pale pink, purple or blue. There are 4 stamens. The flowers of hybrid lavender are large and sterile, which distinguishes it from deciduous.

Lavender is grown because of the inflorescences from which the essential oil is extracted. It is used in the perfume industry, soap, paint and ceramics industries. Lavender oil has a yellow-green color. Well preserved, it has a strong, rich aroma that is slightly different from the aroma of flowers. The delicate aroma of lavender oil is emphasized if it is diluted with alcohol. Lavender essential oil contains: linalilacetate, linalool, geraniol, borneol, cineole, pinene, camphor, coumarin and others. Linalyl acetate is the most valuable, and depending on the growing conditions this ester varies from 30 to 60%.

It is believed that the highest quality French lavender oil is obtained from alpine lavender deposits. Bulgarian lavender oil is characterized by a lasting delicate aroma, although the content of linalilacetate is low. The Bulgarian lavender composition and aroma of the oil is not inferior in quality to the world equivalents.

Composition of lavender

Lavender contains approximately 3% essential oil, the main ingredients of which are esters of the alcohol linalool and especially linalilacetate (from 30 to 60%). They give the characteristic pleasant aroma of the herb. It also contains cineole, borneol, geraniol and some other terpenes. Along with the essential oil, lavender contains up to 12% sugars, tannins, organic acids, mineral salts, anthocyanins and others.

Storage of lavender

Lavender is an herb that loves light and at the same time withstands a lot of drought and cold. Enrich the soil on which you want to grow the herb well with mineral salts. The plant loves moderate moisture, because excessive moisture in the soil will impair the quality of its oil.

Benefits of lavender

Lavender has quite beneficial effects on the human body. It has sedative, analgesic, disinfectant and diuretic effects. The diuretic action is due to terpineol, and the other actions - mainly to the essential oil. Lavender is used in neurasthenia, cardiac neurosis, migraine. In Bulgarian folk medicine, lavender is used even for schizophrenia, paralysis, gas, gastritis, insomnia, dizziness, rheumatism, as well as for rapid heartbeat, headache, stomach pain.

Externally lavender It is used for stomach pains, paralysis, rheumatism, bruises, stings and insect bites, for gnawing in toothache, gargling for sore throat. The flowers of the plant placed between the clothes repel moths. Lavender oil dissolved in alcohol is used for rubbing in colds, neuralgia, rheumatism. For internal use it is good to prepare a decoction of 1 tbsp. of the herb lavender, which is poured with 400 ml of boiling water. Soak for 1 hour, then drink 100 ml 15 minutes before eating. The procedure with lavender decoction is applied 4 times a day.

Lavender in cosmetics

Lavender oil is one of the most valuable oils in cosmetics. It is used against hair loss, acne and dandruff, helps to restore cracked skin because it helps cell regeneration. Although weaker, lavender water has the same effect. It can be used for daily skin toning and as an ingredient in face masks - for example with clay.