One of the Lavandula angustifolias or English lavenders, Munstead Lavender is a fragrant robust lavender that, due to its short size and tightly held blooms, makes a great hedge. It flowers profusely in the spring, after which a good pruning will provide an attractive grey bush with highly aromatic leaves.
Named for Munstead Woods, the country estate of British garden designer Gertrude Jekyll, who was influential in popularising herbs including lavender as ornamental plants. Lavender Munstead produces lush drifts of fragrant blue flowers. The plants have more elongated flower spikes than Lavender Hidcote, they are also faster to grow and earlier to bloom.
Growing to around 45cm (18in) tall, Munstead Lavender is a good choice for hedges, along pathways and around knot gardens. It tolerates summer heat the best of all of the English Lavenders. It is also a good culinary and medicinal plant.