Is Munstead Lavender Edible? Culinary Herb to Add Flavor to Your Dish

There are nearly 45 different species including 450 varieties of lavender or more available around the world. But you can see the English lavender AKA munstead, Jean Devis lavender usually grows in open fields and gardens.

Lavender is mostly known as an aromatic plant used for many beneficial aspects. Although, it’s nothing new that lavender has a strong appearance in many food items, there are a lot of people who aren’t aware of it.

Among the many varieties, you can only consider Lavandula Angustifolia to eat which is commonly known as English lavender. So, the answer to the question ‘Is Munstead Lavender Edible’ is yes, it is edible but you cannot take it directly. Rather you should take it with other items as a culinary flavor. Let’s jump into the below discussion to know how you can process and use munstead lavender to consume,

Is munstead lavender edible or not?

Yes, munstead lavender is edible and highly regarded for its medicinal and therapeutic benefits.

You know there are hundreds of different lavender trees out there but not all of them can be considered for eating. Lavender is mainly used for general culinary purposes when it comes to its medicinal benefits.

Most lavender plants are considered for their excellent oil properties except for some English Lavender varieties such as Hidcote, Munstead, and Lady. You can collect these and use them for eating to receive the advantages.

If you just learn about the usefulness of lavender and decide to grab its benefits, then you should

From ancient times, natural herbs have taken an important place in our daily lives. As they work great as natural medicines and prevent specific disease functions in our health, that’s why you can’t ignore the power of natural herbs like munstead lavender.

Is there a difference between lavender and culinary lavender?

The difference makes the structural compounds and taste between culinary lavender and lavender.

For the differences, people avoid lavenders for culinary purposes that aren’t recommended.

So, it makes clear that all lavenders aren’t the same. There are some lavenders that taste weird, sometimes soapy and perfumy. However, you can use a certain lavender species for culinary or consuming purposes and all of them are derived from L. angustifolia. Here are the common orders of lavenders that can be eaten,

L. angustifolia ‘Royal Velvet’
L. angustifolia ‘Melissa’
L. angustifolia ‘Folgate’
L. angustifolia ‘Croxton’s Wild’
L. angustifolia ‘Wykoff’
L. angustifolia ‘Miss Katherine’
L. angustifolia ‘Buena Vista’

Without these, the other forms of lavenders include excessive camphor elements and uncomfortable fragrance that can make your dishes even worse.

Which part of the lavender plant do you eat?

The most used lavender part is the flower bud that can be eaten raw or cooked. Sometimes, lavender flowers are processed in special ways to get the best out of them.

Because of the mild flavor of culinary lavender flowers, it is used to mix with many dishes, salads, sandwiches, soups, etc. You can make lavender infused sugar with dried lavender flower buds and then use the sugar for any purpose.

However, you can take lavender leaves in your tea because steaming can unravel its natural sweetness and the tea can be a natural remedy for relaxation. But don’t consider eating the stems of lavender because they have a bitter taste and fewer nutrients than the flower and leaves.

Is there any health benefit of eating munstead lavender?

For centuries, Munstead Lavender has been used to treat anxiety, depression, insomnia, stress, and other mental health problems.

A medical study done by the British Association of Critical Nurses published that lavender oil has an absolute impact on improving sleep.

Lavender oil is recommended for skin treatments such as acne, skin blemishes, skin inflammation, etc. Therefore, dermatologists prescribe lavender essential oils to patients who have certain skin issues.

Besides, lavender has molecules that can help calm nerves, reduce pain, and remove stress and insomnia when received by our body receptors. You can see lavender tea, lavender bakery, sweets, etc frequently used by people for relaxation and better sleep.

Is Munstead lavender a perennial?

Yes, all lavenders are perennials. Once you plant lavender in the garden, it will flower year after year.

Lavenders grow slowly and they can be around 45 cm on average lifespan. Lavandula Munstead attracts bees, butterflies, birds, and caterpillars.

How to Grow and Care Munstead Lavender?

Growing munstead lavender is hassle free as you can use small pots and containers to cultivate English lavender. Don’t worry, it doesn’t require much care like other weeding plants.

You just need to be careful about the soil and regular watering for the best results.

Lavender blooms in summer and it demands full sunlight for at least 7-8 hours every day. So, if you are starting from scratch, April or May would be the best time for planting lavender. For lavenders, well drained soil such as sandy soil works well because it can hold water for long time.

This will keep the plants alive in the scorching heat of summer. If you are an experienced gardener, then you would know when the plant needs water by looking at the soil. Water lavender daily at the same time each day and keep the top 1/4 inch of soil moist always. Do not let the soil dry out completely.

How do you pick lavender for cooking?

Pick healthy looking plants and always go for the larger buds. It is good to harvest at least 6-10 inches below from the lavender buds if you want to dry it for long term use.

If the bud looks small, it may still need to bloom properly. However, some say to pick flowers in the morning when it’s fully open, and others say to get them when they are slightly open at dawn. Whatever, always choose in the morning to pick lavender to get the fresh flowers. Choose one cool place to naturally dry the flowers. It will take several days to do properly or you can use oven to get your job done quickly.

Final verdict

In order to answer the question ‘Is munstead lavender edible?’ We have got many important things to know from the above questions and answers.

Thus, lavender is a flowering plant with huge benefits and uses and can grow without any hassle in small areas or in containers. Cultivating lavender will be a good investment as you will get therapeutic flowers, flavors to include in your food, and so on.

Moreover, unlike annual flower plants, lavenders are perennial which means once you plant them, you will receive the flower for next 4 to 5 seasons. Love to enjoy unique flavors in dishes? you may want to try this culinary herb.

You can read more: Is Star Jasmine Edible