Lavandula x christiana

Lamiaceae. Natural hybrid resulting from the cross between Lavandula pinnata and Lavandula canariensis, native to the Canary Islands. It is found in the rocky and sunny areas of the archipelago, on well-drained volcanic substrates, at low and medium altitudes.

It forms a vigorous, rather loose and bushy shrub, reaching 80 to 120 cm in height, with numerous upright stems. The foliage is one of its most distinctive features: the leaves are deeply cut, bipinnatisect, of a medium to grayish-green, giving it a very different appearance from common lavenders and more reminiscent of a fine fern than the usual linear foliage of the genus.

The flower spikes are long, slender and very numerous, bearing narrow spikes with fairly bright blue-violet flowers, slightly spaced on the spike. The whole gives an airy and abundant impression, well rendered by a bush in full bloom. In its natural habitat, flowering is almost continuous in mild climates. In cultivation under temperate climates, it blooms mainly from May to July, with possible reblooms.

Not very hardy, it hardly tolerates temperatures below -5°C and fears cold humidity. It requires very well-drained, poor soil, in full sun. It is suitable for Mediterranean gardens, large rockeries and container cultivation under shelter in winter in regions with severe frosts.