My purpose will be to present an overview of the main essential oils produced in France, trying to see, for each, specific points. First of all, I wish to locate for you the different productive areas. Many of you receive oils fmm Vaucluse or Basses-Alpes. You are familiar with Nice, Cannes, Marseille on the coast and in the middle, from the north to the south, the Rhone Valley.
Basses-Alpes (now named Alpes de Haute-Provence) produces the largest quantity of Lavandin Grosso (about 400 tons). Seventy percent of the French Lavender 40-42% grows in the Vaucluse mainly on the Plateau d’Albion. The Hautes-AIpes has the main production of Lavender 50-52% and 48-50%.
The area of Drome has good Lavender in the north and Lavandin Grosso and Lavandin Abrialis in the south. On the other side of the Rhone, Lavandin Grosso and Abrialis grow in the Ardeche and Gard.