Lavandula angustifolia 'Melissa'

Common name(s): English lavender

Description: evergreen shrub; compact foliage and very sweetly fragrant, white flower spikes that become pink as they mature on mid-length stems. Prized for high quality essential oil and culinary use. Earlier and longer-blooming than most pink-flowered cultivars.

Height: to 2 ft. Spread: to 3 ft.

Stem length: 8-10 in.  

Corolla: opens white and then becomes off-white with a pink-mauve center

Calyx: dark violet, sage green at the base

Bloom season: early summer

Best Uses: landscaping, culinary, bouquets, essential oil

Origin: a color sport of a 'Munstead' seedling (erroneously sold as 'Compacta' in the 1990s) that we selected in 1994 and in 1999 after some evaluation. Named for our co-founder, Melissa Van Hevelingen. 

Position: full sun and well-draining soil

Winter Hardiness: to 0 F and below

Drought: adapted to 3 months of summer drought