Provence
(L. x intermedia)

A favorite of California lavender growers, it has a bushy habit, long gray-green leaves, and dark violet flowers on stems 18” long.
A medium to tall bush bearing long, very sweetly and powerfully fragrant mauve flowering spikes. Blooms are not as richly colored as Grosso but are a solid violet with light purple highlights.

Flower aroma is sweet and powerful. It lacks much of the camphor/eucalyptus-like overtones that make other lavandins more intense and spicy.
Provence is gaining in popularity for its potential in perfumes, potpourris, sachets, lavender wands and some culinary uses.
Landscape use: as an accent plant, in mass plantings and in pottery at least 24” in diameter. Exceptionally long flowered from early summer through early autumn. Makes excellent hedge.
Perhaps the sweetest of the lavandins and therefore appropriate for desserts, ice creams, sorbets, and breads as well as for heartier fare. It is stronger than English lavender so you may not want to use as much. Heat and cooking temperatures affect intensity of lavender aroma. May need to experiment for appropriate seasoning.
Produces more oil and is highly valued for sweet aroma - first variety to experiment with in distilling and making tinctures. 4 lbs of blossoms = 1 ounce of oil.