Common Name:

General Information

Lavandula multifida is a short-lived perennial plant with stems that become woody near the base and can persist. It usually grows around 30 - 50cm tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental, there are some named forms[].
Lavandula multifida is a common plant in much of its range. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2004)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Mediterranean - Portugal, Spain, Italy, and through the African Mediterraneal from Moroco to Egypy and northern Sudan

Habitat

Open, stony habitats, often on disturbed ground near human habitations, where it can survive grazing; at elevations from sea level to 1,500 metres[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Evergreen Biennial/Perennial
Height	0.40 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Lavandula multifida is a Mediterranean plant and is not very cold hardy. In drier climates the plant has been known to survive temperatures as low as -10°c, but the plant is much less cold tolerant in moister climes where it is often grown as an annual[]..
Requires a warm, sunny position in a very well-drained soil[].
The plant is highly aromatic. The smell has been described as being like hyssop, warm with a tang, but others are less flattering, likening the smell to burning rubber or to it having a strong, tar-like, disagreeable odour[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

An infusion of the flowering branches is used to treat coughs[]. The infusion is also used to treat various children's ailments[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed[]. It usually germinates in 1 - 3 months at 15°c. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse or cold frame for their first winter, planting them out in late spring after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood 7 - 10cm with a heel, mid summer in a frame. Usually very easy, a high percentage will root within a few weeks[]. Grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter and plant them out in late spring after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings 7cm with a heel succeed at almost any time of the year[].
Layering.