''Lavandula multifida'', the fernleaf lavender or Egyptian lavender, is a small plant, sometimes a shrub, native to the southern regions of the Mediterranean, including Iberia, Sicily, Northwest Africa and the

Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; es, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, in Macaronesia. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are west of Morocc ...

. The stems are grey and woolly. Leaves are double pinnate. Dark blue or blue violet flowers are borne on long stems held above the foliage. It is grown both as a

herb In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal ...

and as an ornamental plant. In cooler latitudes it is killed by winter frost, but can be grown as an annual. Cultivars include 'Spanish Eyes'.

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External links

Mediterranean Plants Identification and Distribution
from the University of Reading
University of Oklahoma Department of Botany & MicrobiologyThe University of Reading
multifida Flora of the Canary Islands Flora of Spain Flora of Sicily Garden plants of Europe Drought-tolerant plants Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Flora of the Mediterranean Basin {{Lamiaceae-stub