A lavender plant is characterized by its fragrant, usually blue, violet, or lilac-colored blossoms that grow along blunt spikes above the leaves.
The overall appearance of a lavender plant can be described as follows:
- Size and Shape: Lavender is typically a small shrub, ranging in height from 1 to 3 feet (30 to 90 cm) and forming a rounded, bushy shape.
- Leaves: The leaves are typically narrow, linear or lance-shaped, and often covered in fine hairs, giving them a grayish-green or silvery appearance. The foliage is evergreen in warmer climates.
- Flowers:
- The flowers are the most distinctive feature, growing in whorls of 6 to 10 individual flowers around the stalk, forming a spike.
- Each flower is small and tubular in shape.
- The color is usually blue, violet, or lilac, but can also be pink or white, depending on the variety.
- Both the calyx (the outer part of the flower) and the corolla (the petals) are tube-shaped.
- Stems: The stems are woody at the base and become more herbaceous towards the flowering spikes.
In summary, a lavender plant presents as a compact, bushy shrub with grayish-green foliage and characteristic spikes of fragrant, colorful flowers. The specific color and size can vary depending on the cultivar.