Purple fields of lavender have enchanted gardeners for centuries. Ever since the Romans grew the fragrant blooms to scent their baths, and the Greeks discovered it had soothing medicinal properties, lavender has been prized among plants.
Today, commercial growers harvest lavender to extract its oils and preserve its flowers for a multitude of culinary and cosmetic concoctions.
Most commonly associated with the Provence region in southeastern France and other Mediterranean habitats where it is a native, lavender is now finding a home in Missouri.
Kelly McGowan is the MU Extension horticulturist in Greene County who wants to see more purple in more fields. She and two other researchers, Patrick Byers and Kate Kammler, hope to develop a set of standardized growing practices for cultivating lavender in the state.