Lavender is a beautiful purple flower that grows on a small bush with silvery-green leaves. It is very famous for its wonderful, sweet smell that helps people feel relaxed and sleepy. People have loved lavender for a very long time, and even ancient Romans used to put it in their baths! The name “lavender” actually comes from a word that means “to wash.” Lavender originally comes from countries near the Mediterranean Sea, where it is sunny and warm.
If you rub the tiny purple flowers between your fingers, the smell gets even stronger because you are squeezing out the special oils inside! Bees and butterflies love to visit lavender plants to drink their sweet nectar, and beekeepers sometimes put their beehives near lavender fields to make delicious lavender honey. People use lavender to make soaps, lotions, and even yummy cookies and tea. Lavender is also a very tough plant that does not need much water once it is grown up, so it is happy even in dry, hot weather. Some lavender fields are so big and purple that they look like a giant purple carpet spread across the ground!
