LAVANDULA X. INTERMEDIA ‘GROSSO’ – THE’GRAND’ LAVANDIN
Since 1975, L. x intermedia Grosso has been the premier commercial producer of ‘lavender’ essential oil internationally. In full flower the ever popular lavandin, Grosso, is a billowing mass of dark purple conical spikes presented on a splayed spherical plant to 90cm round. Apart from the plants great beauty it is most revered for its high oil yield (2 -2.5%) and a phyto-chemical profile which approximates the balance of the more highly prized L. angustifolia oils.
Essential Oil
The Grosso cultivar grown at Snowy River Lavender produces an essential oil which fits closely to the ISO Standard for this plant. Significantly Grosso has a well balanced ratio of the two key lavender compounds linalool and linalyl acetate (between 60 and 65% of the oil chemistry) and also has lower levels of the camphor (5.8 – 7.6%) and 1, 8 cineole (3.8 – 6.5%) than other lavandins. This low balance of the sharper compounds is a key factor in why this plant has become renowned and desired. Interestingly, Grosso is the only lavandin oil we distill which is higher in the ester linalyl acetate (up to 38%) than the alcohol linalool (around 30%).
HYDROSOL
The hydrosol derived from the L. x Grosso cultivar has a sweet peppery herbaceous aroma with hints of eucalyptus honey typical of most L. x intermedia hydrosols. As with all our lavandin hydrosols Grosso comes off the still with a pH level well below 4.5
