Let’s be honest: even here, on the Valensole plateau, some people get mixed up. Between fine lavender, the wild gem that grows at altitude, and lavandin, its sturdier, more generous cousin, the line can be blurry for the uninitiated.
That’s why at Maison Berenger we decided to have a little fun with you in our shops.
Lavender or lavandin: 4 plants to know
They are often confused, and understandably so: lavender and lavandin are close cousins, grown side by side on the Valensole plateau. But behind these two names there are actually four plants, each with its own scent and uses. Here is how to tell them apart.
Lavender: two species
True, fine or English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
Three names for the same plant: the “real” lavender. It grows at altitude, from 500 m, on dry, stony ground. Small bushes, one spike per stem, a soft, floral, delicate scent. It is the lavender for relaxation, sleep, skin, infusions and cooking.
Grown organically and traditionally distilled, it yields little, around 40 kg of essential oil per hectare on our farm: that is what makes it precious. All about it: true lavender (Lavandula angustifolia). Our products: true lavender essential oils.
Spike lavender (Lavandula latifolia)
Less well known, it is the “broad-leaved” lavender, as its Latin name says. It grows lower down, in scrubland and dry hills, and flowers later in the summer. Its spikes are branched and its scent is fresh, aromatic and clearly camphorous. In the past, its essence was even used by painters and varnishers.
It is also one of the two parents of lavandin: where true lavender and spike lavender met, bees cross-pollinated them. Spike lavender will soon be available in our shop.
Lavandin: two main varieties
Lavandin (Lavandula × intermedia) is a natural hybrid between the two great families of lavender: true lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) and spike lavender (Lavandula latifolia). Taller and more generous, it grows from 200 m and forms the big rows of violet bushes everyone photographs in July. All about it: lavandin (Lavandula × intermedia).
Lavandin grosso: home and cosmetics
The most widely grown, here and everywhere else, and the most fragrant: its scent is the strongest and longest-lasting of all lavenders. It is the lavandin for the home (cleaning, laundry, home fragrance, insects) and for body cosmetics (soaps, balms, deodorants, shampoos). Our tips: how to use lavandin and cleaning with lavandin.
Lavandin super: muscle massage
Softer and less camphorous, close to true lavender, super is the lavandin for the body: muscle massage after exercise, foot baths at the end of the day. Our recipes: lavandin massage. Lavandin super will soon be available in our shop.
The table to never get it wrong again
| Plant | Latin name | Scent | Best for | Our shop |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| True lavender (fine, English) | L. angustifolia | Soft, floral | Relaxation, sleep, skin, infusions, cooking | Available |
| Spike lavender | L. latifolia | Fresh, aromatic, camphorous | Traditionally used on insect bites | Coming soon |
| Lavandin grosso | L. × intermedia | The strongest and longest-lasting | Home, laundry, cleaning, body cosmetics | Available |
| Lavandin super | L. × intermedia | Soft, lightly camphorous | Muscle massage, foot baths | Coming soon |
Four plants, four scents, four uses, and a richness the Bérenger family has grown and distilled since 1932, organically since 2002.
Find out more: the benefits of lavender, our lavender essential oils, our lavandin essential oils.
The Sense Experience: a sensory adventure in our shops
What if, instead of explaining it, we let you experience it?
That’s the idea behind “The Sense Experience”, our new workshop available in all our shops. A fun, free experience led by our advisers, designed for everyone – the curious, enthusiasts and plant lovers alike.
The idea is simple: blindfolded, you let your sense of smell do the talking.
Dried flowers, hydrosols, essential oils, cosmetics… at each step you smell, you feel, you try to identify which variety you’re dealing with. Lavender or lavandin? Fine or spike? And while you search, our advisers share the secrets of each plant: its origins, its properties, its everyday uses.
A way to (re)discover products you may already know, from a completely new angle.
Practical information
“The Sense Experience” is available free of charge throughout the day in each of our shops during opening hours. No booking needed – just walk in.
Visit us in our shops
Valensole shop Rue Albert Richaud – 04210 Valensole. Every day from 1 March to 31 October, hours vary with the season
Manosque shop 45 rue Grande – 04100 Manosque. Open all year, 9am to 7pm, closed on Wednesdays and Sundays
Forcalquier shop 18 boulevard Latourette – 04300 Forcalquier. From 1 April to 31 October, Thursday to Monday, 10am to 7pm
The Hut on the plateau Route de Manosque (D6) – 04210 Valensole. From 1 June to 31 July during the flowering season, every day from 8am to 10pm – all year round by appointment
Provence in every bottle, since 1932
At Lavande Bio Berenger, we don’t just produce lavender: we live it, we pass it on, we share it. For four generations our family has been growing and distilling organically on the Valensole plateau, convinced that quality is built with respect for the land and for time.
“The Sense Experience” is an invitation to step into this world – for a pause, a deep breath, a discovery.
We look forward to seeing you.
Discover our products!
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Lavandin essential oils 30 ml
5,50 € -
Lavender essential oil 100 ml
40,00 € -
Lavender flowers in bulk from 500 gr
Price range: 30,00 € through 60,00 € This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
