Document Type

Article

Author ORCID Identifier

Riley B. Jackson https://orcid.org/0009-0000-3039-124X

Tyler M. Wilson https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9383-1564

Christopher R. Bowerbank https://orcid.org/0009-0002-6276-8026

Journal/Book Title/Conference

International Journal of Plant Biology

Volume

16

Issue

3

Publisher

MDPI AG

Publication Date

7-1-2025

Journal Article Version

Version of Record

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

First Page

1

Last Page

11

Abstract

Lavandula angustifolia Mill., lavender, is an aromatic plant in the Lamiaceae family. Lavender, which is native to the Mediterranean region but cultivated throughout the world, is an important economic plant. Several studies have investigated two aspects of this aromatic plant: (1) which pollinators, particularly bees, pollinate lavender, and (2) the composition of lavender essential oil. However, little research has been conducted to investigate how pollination affects either the yield or phytochemistry of lavender. The current study, which was conducted in North America, investigates which bee species visit lavender and how pollination affects plant chemistry, specifically the essential oil produced by lavender. Over the course of the 5-week observational period, a total of 12 species (across 10 genera) of bees were identified visiting lavender. Compared to previous studies on cultivated lavender at the same site (Mt. Nebo Botanical Farm, Mona, UT), four bee species not previously observed on lavender were identified. These included Hoplitis producta, Nomada sp., Osmia trevoris, and Megachile snowi. Pollinated lavender, compared to lavender excluded from pollinators, produced more essential oil (yield (w/w) = 1.49% vs. 1.07%), lower relative amounts of linalool (35.4% vs. 39.9%), and higher relative amounts of linalyl acetate (21.3% vs. 16.8%). The findings of this study demonstrate the ecological interactions between pollinators and lavender, and how those interactions impact phytochemistry.

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