Why Flowers Get Mistaken for Lavender
With its delicate purple flowers and signature scent, lavender is one of the most recognizable plants. However, several other flowers closely resemble lavender in color, shape, or fragrance. It's easy to see why they get confused with true lavender varieties.
Visual Similarities
Many flowers mimic the visual appearance of lavender. The small, tubular purple florets arranged in long floral spikes give lavender a very distinct look. Other flowers in the mint family like Russian sage, germander, and catmint have adapted comparable features.
Shared Scents
In addition to lookalike flowers, some plants have fragrances evocative of lavender. The sweet floral aroma comes from shared essential oils like linalool and linalyl acetate. Imposters seem even more like lavender when their scent fools our brains.
Overlapping Growing Conditions
Plants frequently found growing alongside real lavender, like in similar climates, soils, or garden settings further the resemblance. We associate this set of environmental factors with lavenders presence.
10 Lavender Lookalikes
Many plants get mistaken for lavender simply because they have subtle physical or scent similarities. Here are 10 prime lavender imposters:
Russian Sage
With long spikes of small purple flowers and silvery foliage, Russian sage mirrors lavenders form but lacks its fragrance. It blooms later in summer with more flattened flower heads.
Giant Hyssop
Also known as anise hyssop, this perennial mint relative has a licorice-lavender scent. The bushy purple flower spikes look messy compared to lavenders tidier whorls.
Rosemary
The leaves give rosemary away, but its blue spring flowers resemble lavender blooms. The piney, herbal smell differs though, despite some shared essential oils.
Sea Lavender
Actually a species of Limonium in the plumbago family, sea lavender gets its common name from the vibrant purple flowers on long stems, like an oceanfront lavender.
Perovskia
Also called Russian sagebrush, this rugged, cold-hardy plant has fuzzy silver leaves but its sky blue flower spikes give it away, unlike true lavender blossoms.
Hyssop
In the same mint family genus as lavender, this herb flaunts thicker flower spikes in pinks to deep blues. It smells pleasantly like lavender and rosemary.
Catmint
With messy spikes of petite purple flowers and attractive gray foliage, catmint looks so much like lavender that its botanical name is Nepeta x faassenii.
Four-lined Plant Bug
This common garden insect feeds on mints and gets mistaken for a tiny lavender bloom, with its petite purple body marked by two black and two yellow stripes.
Germander
Often used as a hardy groundcover, germander species like Teucrium chamaedrys have dense low mounds of leaves topped with lavender-like flower clusters.
Culver's Root
A member of the Veronica genus that includes true lavender-leafed plants, this tall wildflower has showy bright purple flower spikes in late summer.
How to Distinguish True Lavender
Telling fake flowers from authentic lavender takes careful observation of a few key traits:
Flower Shape
Lavender's tiny tubular blossoms always have a two-lipped silhouette with an upper hood and lower lip, unlike lookalikes with circular single petals.
Leaf Appearance
Lavender foliage is slender with a gray-green color. Imposter plant leaves differ in form and hue in most cases.
Floral Scent
Crush a small flower or leaf stem and sniff deeply. If that fresh, clean floral-herbal perfume comes through, it's real lavender.
Growing Habits
True species grow as compact bushes around one to three feet tall in full sun and well-drained soil. Anything vining, oversized or shade-loving ain't lavender!
Why Proper Lavender ID Matters
Correctly verifying real lavender varieties holds significance for a few critical reasons:
Allergy Issues
If you have contact allergies to certain flower pollen or plant chemicals, lookalikes could trigger reactions lavender itself may not.
Medicinal Uses
True lavender possesses therapeutic properties from its unique phytochemical makeup not replicated in other plants.
Culinary Purposes
The flavor and fragrance compounds needed for cooking applications depend on compounds like linalool only present in real lavender.
Ornamental Needs
Lookalikes may have different ideal growing habitats and lose appeal once they stop flowering compared to true lavender shrubs.
How to Use Real Lavender
Once correctly identified, true lavender unlocks a world of versatile household uses:Landscaping
Use lavender bushes as focal points, borders or walkways for visual interest year-round thanks to the foliage and flowers.
Repelling Pests
Place dried flower sachets in drawers as a gentle bug deterrent or make anti-mosquito sprays from lavender essential oils.
Aromatherapy
The relaxing yet uplifting floral-herbal aroma makes lavender a popular scent for candles, sachets, room diffusers and linen sprays.
Stress Relief
Enjoy calming benefits by adding lavender essential oils to baths, massages or steam inhalations to promote relaxation.
Cooking & Baking
Use edible dried or fresh flowers to impart nuanced floral notes into baked goods, beverages and more savory dishes.
Crafting
The gorgeous purple hues and varied flower forms inspire artful dried flower arrangements and wreaths when lavishly incorporated.
Caring for Potted Lavender Plants
Bringing home true lavender for indoor growing requires proper care:Sunlight Needs
At least 6 hours a day of bright, direct sun ensures adequate photosynthesis for flowering and growth.
Watering Habits
Allow soil to dry out between thorough waterings, never letting pots sit flooded. Proper drainage prevents harmful root rot.
Ideal Temperatures
Daytime temperatures of 65-75F support active growth for potted lavender plants.
Occasional Grooming
Gently trim back excess foliage or uneven flower stems to keep plants compact and encourage more blooms.
Fertilizer Boosts
Use a balanced liquid fertilizer diluted to half strength every 2-3 weeks during the active growing season for stronger lavender plants.
Overwintering Measures
Move potted lavender plants indoors before winters first frost, providing brightest window light and reduced watering periods.The Takeaway
Many flowers undeservedly trade on lavenders gorgeous looks and appealing scent. But none offer quite the same perks. Learn how to spot imposters trying to blend in as the real deal. Then enjoy unique culinary advantages, relaxation benefits and decorative flair exclusive to true lavender once pinpointed accurately!FAQs
What flower smells like lavender but isn't lavender?
Catmint (Nepeta) offers a similar floral-herbal perfume to lavender and is often mistaken for it, but they are different plant species.
Is Russian sage the same as lavender?
No, Russian sage has comparable purple flower spikes but does not smell anything like true lavender varieties.
Can you cook with plants that look like lavender?
It's not recommended to cook with lavender lookalikes, as only true lavender varieties have been approved as culinarily safe due to their unique chemical composition.
What's a key way to tell fake lavender from real lavender?
Crush a small flower or leaf stem and take a whiff - if you smell that true clean floral scent, it’s authentic lavender. Lookalikes may be visually similar but lack lavender’s fragrance.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.
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