Common name: Lavender

Latin name: Lavandula angustifolia Mill.

Other names: Lavender, Livanto, Lavander

Description: Lavender is an annual shrub or semi-shrub from the Lamiaceae family with a highly developed and branched root system reaching 4m. The aerial parts of the plant are shaped like compact tufts of numerous straight stems, reaching 60 cm. in diameter. The flowering stems of the inflorescence are annual, 40 cm. long. The leaves are sessile, oblong, entire with a curled-down periphery, covered with trichomes, gray-green in color. The flowers are small, blue-violet, bisexual, ring-shaped in spike-like inflorescences. The fruit is dry and breaks into 4 nuts. Blooms in July and August. Lavender is grown as an essential oil plant mainly in the sub-Balkan fields, Northeastern and Eastern Bulgaria and in places in Western Bulgaria.

Part of herb used: flowers (Flores lavandulae), herbs (Flores lavandulae)

Harvest time: The flowers of the essential oil plant are harvested in July - August during full bloom. They are dried in the shade or in a dryer at a temperature of up to 35°C, after which they are crushed or sieved.

Chemical composition/Contents and properties: The plant contains essential oil, linalool, camphor, coumarin, bitter substances, glycosides, saponins, tannins, organic acids, sugars, mineral salts, etc. The quality of the essential oil is determined by the content of linalyl acetate, which varies widely (30-60%).

Medicinal action and application: Lavender has anti-inflammatory, pain-relieving, antimicrobial, antispasmodic, relaxing and carminative effects. It contains tannins that kill bacteria and prevent wound infection. The linalool (terpene alcohol) contained in lavender removes tension from the body. It is used as a sedative in neurasthenia, insomnia, cardiac neurosis with palpitation, nervousness and migraine. Lavender flower is an insecticidal agent and is used successfully in the fight against the clothes moth. Due to the high content of essential oil and its pleasant aroma, lavender is widely used in perfumery, for flavoring soaps, in cosmetics, aromatherapy, in the production of paints and varnishes, as a spice in cooking.

Possibilities to offer at the customer's request:

Vesselino Ltd. offers their customers the plant in the following varieties:

• Flower (Flores Lavandula) - dried whole, crushed, cut to size according to customer's request, ground into herb powder/flour

• Herb (Herba Lavandula) - dried whole, crushed, cut to size according to customer's request, ground into herb powder/flour

• Lavender oil (Oleum Lavandulae) - organic

• Lavender oil (Oleum Lavandulae) - natural