I was just looking through the Frontier resource page and found this QUALITY ASSURANCE TECHNICAL BULLETIN:

LAVENDER ESSENTIAL OIL PURITY -- 11/15/04 -- An interesting article on testing and the difference between Lavender and Lavandin.

Frontier Lavender essential oil profile -- There are tons of links to other oils and I had no idea that there is so much to know about oils. 

They even offer the Aura Cacia Online Aromatherapy Retailer Training Course.  A very interesting lesson on regulation.

From Aura Cacia Lavender, Essential Oil

Sourcing Notes: Aura Cacia lavender essential oil is sourced solely from Ukraine. Lavender essential oil has been produced in Ukraine for nearly 50 years and today Ukraine is perhaps the largest producer of pure lavender oil in the world. The sweet, floral aroma of Ukrainian lavender has become synonymous with the Aura Cacia brand and is the gold standard of lavender oil. Our Ukrainian lavender source assists us with offering a pure, unadulterated lavender essential oil, the only choice for aromatherapy use

Processing Notes: Essential oil is obtained by steam distillation of the fresh flowering tops.

Common Name: Lavender

...

Not cheap, at $ 72.82 for 16 oz, wholesale.

I have Lavender growing between my grapes and last time I checked, it hadn't frozen yet. 

I have no idea why I bought it, but it was one of the few plants not eaten by animals last summer and I planned on digging it up and bringing it inside for the winter.  Of course that didn't happen.

Found another Frontier bulletin:

LAVENDER FLOWER PURITY -- 4/05/04

The Quality Assurance Department has prepared the following report to inform Frontier staff and customers of the industry-wide problem of adulterated/mislabeled lavender flowers and the purity testing we use to detect them.

Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Miller), also known as common or English lavender, has been valued over the centuries not just for its beauty and fragrance, but also as a culinary herb and for its medicinal properties. True lavender is used today in high quality perfumes and aromatherapy. The names L. officinalis and L. vera are also used for true lavender (L. angustifolia).

Lavandin (L. x intermedia), also sometimes known as Dutch lavender, is a sterile hybrid of L. angustifolia and L . latifolia (spike lavender). Lavandin flowers and essential oil are used in aromatherapy, crafting, perfumery and in scenting toiletries & household products.

Spike lavender (L. latifolia), cultivated primarily for its essential oil, is used mainly in cleaning products and insect repellents.

Why does Frontier sell only true lavender as lavender?

We feel we would be misleading our customers if we sold a lower value product, lavandin, as lavender. In fact, the FDA considers selling lavandin or a lavender/lavandin mix as true lavender to constitute adulteration and mislabeling.

How can you identify adulterated or mislabeled lavender flowers?

1.   Pure lavandin, or lavender adulterated with a high percentage of lavandin, has a camphor-like note, which can be detected in the crushed flowers.

2.  Low price may be an indicator.   Lavandin flowers are of lower quality than true lavender, and therefore are lower-priced, so lavandin flowers are used to adulterate true lavender flowers.

3.  For lower levels of adulteration, the essential oil must be extracted from the flowers and then analyzed for its chemical components. (See printouts below.) The percentages of camphor and 1,8-cineole in the oils can clearly distinguish lavender from lavandin.

 

	True Lavender Flowers L. angustifolia, officinalis, vera	Lavandin Flowers L. x intermedia	Spike Lavender Flowers L. latifolia
Aroma	Sweet, floral, herbaceous, slightly woody, refreshing	Floral, lavender-like with a slight camphor note	Pungent, camphoraceous
Use	Tinctures, potpourri, herb pillows, teas, vinegars, food flavorings, salves	Herb pillows, potpourri, flavoring in foods	Flowers not used
Oil Profile	Maximum 1.5% camphor Maximum 3% 1,8-cineole	3% or higher camphor 3% or higher 1,8-cineole	8% or higher camphor 20% or higher 1,8-cineole

Frontier is the only lavender supplier using gas chromatography (GC) to test lavender flowers in order to conclusively determine whether they are authentic or adulterated with lavandin.

[the scans of test results are at Frontier]

I grabbed the flashlight and got the Bonnie Plants tag and I have Lavandula x. intermedia (small print), PROVENCE LAVENDER (large print).  "Mulch to help protect over winter." 

Well, hopefully I'll get some pretty flowers this summer.  And I should throw some straw on it, winter isn't over yet.