Can someone help me identify this herb?

[eric11210]

Found it at my local nursery/flower shop. I asked the guy what it was and he wasn't sure. He thought it might be lavender, but it's obviously not. Has a nice scent though. He said he thinks it's "good for tea." Then again, I think his standard line when he's not sure what something is good for is to say that it's good for tea...

[url=https://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/20/dsc0059zq.jpg/][img]https://img20.imageshack.us/img20/9363/dsc0059zq.jpg[/img][/url]

Thanks in advance.

Eric

[rainbowgardener]

Not sure, possibly yarrow? (The leaves seem a little bit narrow for it)

[img]https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/wildseed/flowers/GoldYarrowLeaf.jpg[/img]

Is the scent aromatic, almost spicy, not sweet...?

[lorax]

Could also be Tansy, if the smell is astringent and slightly sweet instead.

[eric11210]

I'm obviously not seeing any flowers yet so the two possibilities are just possibilities. The smell is kind of hard to describe. It's pleasant. Vaguely lemony/vanilla. My friend who smelled it says it smells like herbal soap if that helps at all. . .

Thanks again for looking. Kind of a mystery! I am curious what to use the thing for, other than the vague "it's good for tea" that my local guy seems to think is a catchall for everything he sells me (I bought something else from him which I identified as "lemon scented pelargonium" which he also didn't know what it was. He said that was "good for tea" as well...)

[Susan W]

It could be one of the lavenders, especially Spanish or French. Do a net search. You don't say where you are, but it seems for much of the US is treated as an annual.
Hope this helps

[rainbowgardener]

Don't think it's lavender. As far as I know all the lavenders have stiff little single leaves, almost like needles, very similar to rosemary. None of them are ferny/ frondy.

[img]https://www.theweddingdept.com/images/lavender-leaves.jpg[/img]

[eric11210]

It could be one of the lavenders, especially Spanish or French. Do a net search. You don't say where you are, but it seems for much of the US is treated as an annual.
Hope this helps

The guy I bought it from did say it was called lavender. I'm in Israel by the way. I just assumed since all the pictures I see of lavender show purple flowers that it wasn't lavender.

[Susan W]

Under lavender, French there are several entries. Let's see if this one works. I have seen it in the spring at the garden center and usually talk myself out of it as it usually doesn't winter. Where you are may be a perennial. If the link doesn't work (I'm not real good at this) check the common or scientific name.



EasyBloom :: French Lavender - Lavandula dentata :: Detailed Plant ...
easybloom.com/plantlibrary/plant/french-lavender

[eric11210]

I think that may be it. Israel does have a pretty mild winter. I don't recall seeing it snow in the four years I've lived here, though it can get to the 40s as far as temperatures with rare bouts in the 30s. Hopefully the thing will survive on my balcony the whole year. Only cost around $3.50 so I'm not too worried about it...

Eric