Lavandula is a genus of 47 known species of
flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae. It is native to the Old
World and is found in Cape Verde and the Canary Islands, and from Europe
across to northern and eastern Africa, the Mediterranean, southwest Asia
to India. Many members of the genus are cultivated extensively in
temperate climates as ornamental plants for garden and landscape use, for
use as culinary herbs, and also commercially for the extraction of
essential oils. The most widely cultivated species, Lavandula
angustifolia, is often referred to as lavender, and there is a color named
for the shade of the flowers of this species. Lavender has been used over
centuries in traditional medicine and cosmetics.
Read more here!