Dried Lavender Grown in the UK
Did you know that historically lavender was grown as a commercial crop until World War 1? There’s now a growing UK market for dried lavender and numerous lavender farms have grown up or revived in the last twenty years or so to meet demand. These growers often supplement their income with tourism and hosting events such as weddings.
British lavender grains and bunches
Most UK lavender farms harvest the lavender to make oil. This is then made into toiletries and other scented or aromatherapy products. Because this is such a good way of making a little lavender go a long way, farms don’t have much left over to dry for grains and bunches, but some can be found if you search carefully! Bunches are easier to get hold of than grains but do ask where the item comes from before you buy as some places buy them in.
The image at the top of the page is of an English lavender bunch Lavandula angustifolia variety Folgate grown in the South East.
You might find that British lavender is more expensive than imported lavender. There are two reasons for this. Firstly French lavender in particular has been grown at scale for a century and so they have all the space, expertise and equipment they need in place. In Britain, small scale farms can’t reach the economy of scale found in France. Secondly, harvesting requires specialist equipment. Stems cut for display are still often harvested by hand. Harvesting of grains requires specialist machinery to make it financially viable.
Want to know more about dried lavender UK? Just contact us with your question!