What is a Dried Lavender Grain?
Dried lavender grains are the little individual flower buds that can be found on a lavender flower spike. They’re dried in a way that retains the fine fragrance. Usually the drying method is simply the circulation of warm air.
What can dried lavender grains be used for?
There are many uses for lavender grains:
- Make lavender bags to freshen drawers and wardrobes and use as relaxing sleep pillows
- Make potpourri for home fragrance
- Culinary lavender can be used for cooking
- Wedding confetti
Different types
There are different varieties that are used for dried lavender. By far the most common type is Lavandula x intermedia which is a pale greyish colour. This is the least expensive and also happens to have the strongest fragrance which makes it perfect for lavender bags, home fragrance and potpourri.
If you’d like a prettier blue, there is a pale blue relation of the above, which is great for wedding confetti as it has a pretty colour and is fragrant too. It throws like rice and has a slightly more subtle fragrance.
For food use, a less potent flavour is often called for, when Lavandula angustifolia can be better. Do make sure the lavender buds you’re buying are safe for food use because there are different grades.
Anyone who finds dried lavender too strong in general, for example in aromatherapy, might prefer angustifolia too. However the grains are far more expensive and also harder to get hold of.
And don’t forget Organic lavender grains which are available from French growers.
French lavender
Nearly all the loose lavender sold in the UK is grown in France. Although we now have an increasing number of lavender farms in Britain, the grains tend to be used to make oil for toiletries. Some farms do dry lavender for bunches, but very few dry it to sell as grains, so don’t assume it’s British grown, especially if they’re selling more than a few grammes at a time. If it doesn’t specifically tell you, do ask!
There are many other growers around Europe, such as Croatia and Bulgaria, but France still dominates.
[Image credit – filling lavender bags – Thomas Skovsende for Prima magazine UK]
Want to know more about dried lavender grains? Just contact us with your question!