Is lavender a herb, shrub or a flower?


Today we will discuss a very common question about Lavender plants. Is lavender a herb, shrub or flower plant? We all know lavender is a flowering plant but some other factors can make you scratch your head for the correct answer. If you are feeling the same then this is the right place for you. Keep reading…

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What type of plant is lavender?- Lavender is a woody plant and a well-known member of the herb garden. Every gardener having a kitchen garden is very much familiar with lavender. It is a beautiful flowering perennial plant.

The flowers of lavender are bright, purple and full of strong aroma. The strong aromatic leaves and flowers of lavender have made an essential member of the culinary, medicine and cosmetic industry.

Read my previous article on How to grow Chili Pepper plants faster from seeds.

Is lavender a herb, shrub or a flower
Is lavender a herb, shrub or a flower?

Is lavender a herb?

No, lavender is not a herb. It is so because in standard biology only the soft stem plants are considered as herbs. On contrary to this fact, A lavender plant is a woody plant, so we can not consider it a herb.

A Plant with a soft stem is called Herb or Herbaceous plant.

How many different types of lavender plants are there?

Lavender is the family of plants with 47 species including more than 450 members.

In Botany, the Plant biology- Lavender is a group of almost 47 different species of plants. Some of which are herbs, some are shrubs and some are common bush.

If we consider it a single plant then it is way harder to decide whether it is a herb or a shrub. We can decide the category of a lavender species only by considering the hardness of its stem.

If it is soft and mostly green it is good to be considered as a herb. Else plants with woody stems are generally, considered as shrubs.

On the other hand, some of the very common members of the lavender family are considered as herbs not technically but only for their uses.

In the culinary world, lavender is widely considered as a herb due to its strong aroma and edible quality.

Lavender has many medicinal uses. This is also a valid reason for considering lavender as a herb. Lavender is also used for preparing aromatic and refreshing green tea. It is healthy and tasty.

Is lavender a Shrub?

Yes, Lavender can be considered as a Shrub. The hard woody stem is a characteristic feature of a shrub or bush. Shrubs are generally considered as easy to grow plants so do the lavender.

In either way, Lavender is the best fit for the shrub category. Their woody stem and easy to grow nature is a characteristic feature of shrubs.

Many varieties of Lavender plants have woody structure and significantly lie in the category of a shrub.

What is lavender- A herb, shrub or a flower bush?

Biologically, A lavender plant is a flowering bush that can be considered as a Shrub. It is not a herb due to its hardwood stem and rigid firm structure.

If you can eat it or maybe cook something interesting out of it then only you can consider a lavender plant as a herb but only in culinary terms.

On the other hand, Lavender is well known for its beautiful flowers. It is an important part of perennial flower gardens. Once grown, it will stay as it is for many years. Every year spring will come and go but your garden never loses its beauty with these bright purple lavenders.

So, we can say that Lavender is both a herb and a Shrub or flowering plant. Shrub in Biology and Herb in Culinary terms. After all this discussion we can easily say that Lavender is a beautiful flowering plant with the quality of a herb.

Now it is definitely up to your choice, whether it is a herb or not? The fact that is true is that Lavender is a very useful plant and we all need it in one way or another.

So what is your opinion about today’s question- Is lavender a herb? Write down your views and suggestion in the comment box. Let me know is it helpful or not. Also, write if you have any other interesting questions to discuss.

Sukant

Hi, My name is Sukant. I am an I.T professional. Gardening for me is not just a hobby, it's a way of living life with nature. My Ancestors were Commercial farmers: So I personally feel attached to the green. I am not an expert, I'm here only to share my gardening experiences. It's always Refreshing.

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