Lavender

Lavandula angustifolia

The lavenders (Lavandula) are a genus of 39 species of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae. These species are native to the mountainous zones of the Mediterranean, but widely distributed throughout Southern Europe, Australia and The United States today. The fragrance of lavender is as compelling and rich as its history of use. Recorded history goes back as far as 2,500 years to Egyptian uses in the mummification process. Ancient Greeks called this plant “Nard” or “Nardus” named after the Syrian city of Naarda and it appears in the Bible in Song of Solomon. So valued was this beautifully fragrant purple flower that Romans charged 100 denari per pound, the equivalent of a months wages mostly for the purposes of adding to baths for fragrance. The current common name Lavender is a derivation of the Latin, lavare, meaning, to wash. In modern times it is certainly still used as a fragrance for perfumes, soaps and other toiletries as well as a natural remedy.