Lovage
Levisticum officinale
Also listed as Hipposelinum levisticum, Levisticum paludapifolium
Also known as Garden Lovage
Climate Match for your location
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Lovage is a tall culinary and medicinal perennial herb with celery-like leaves and small yellow flowers. All parts are edible with a distinctive warm, slightly bitter flavor used in cooking, teas, and traditional remedies.
Why grow it
Lovage outperforms many culinary herbs in vigor and longevity once established, producing harvestable foliage for 10+ years from a single planting. Unlike annual celery or parsley, it requires minimal maintenance and tolerates partial shade, making it efficient for perennial polycultures. The plant's deep taproot accesses nutrients beyond the reach of shallow-rooted companions, and its robust growth habit suppresses competing weeds naturally.
Watch out for
Lovage establishes slowly in its first season and benefits from consistent moisture during establishment; inconsistent watering can delay productivity. The plant's strong flavor concentration means small harvests satisfy most culinary applications, so growers often overestimate their planting needs. In humid climates, leaf spot diseases may develop if air circulation is poor, particularly when plants are crowded.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Apiaceae
Native Range
Mediterranean
Seasonality
Bloom Season
Harvest Season
Edible Parts
Season of Interest
Notable Cultivars
No widely distinct named cultivars; the species is grown as-is and is relatively uniform in the trade.
Herb
Soft non-woody plants of the field layer.
Succession Role
Tolerances & Soil
Establishment & Care
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Years to Bearing
- Propagation
Lovage is a tall culinary and medicinal perennial herb with celery-like leaves and small yellow flowers. All parts are edible with a distinctive warm, slightly bitter flavor used in cooking, teas, and traditional remedies.
Climate Match for your location
See how well Lovage grows in your area.
Enter your ZIP code and we'll show you how this plant fits your local climate.
Why grow it
Lovage outperforms many culinary herbs in vigor and longevity once established, producing harvestable foliage for 10+ years from a single planting. Unlike annual celery or parsley, it requires minimal maintenance and tolerates partial shade, making it efficient for perennial polycultures. The plant's deep taproot accesses nutrients beyond the reach of shallow-rooted companions, and its robust growth habit suppresses competing weeds naturally.
Watch out for
Lovage establishes slowly in its first season and benefits from consistent moisture during establishment; inconsistent watering can delay productivity. The plant's strong flavor concentration means small harvests satisfy most culinary applications, so growers often overestimate their planting needs. In humid climates, leaf spot diseases may develop if air circulation is poor, particularly when plants are crowded.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Apiaceae
Native Range
Mediterranean
Seasonality
Bloom Season
Harvest Season
Edible Parts
Season of Interest
Herb
Soft non-woody plants of the field layer.
Succession Role
Tolerances & Soil
Establishment & Care
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Years to Bearing
- Propagation
Similar herbs you might consider:
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Companion Planting
Plants well with
Notable Cultivars
No widely distinct named cultivars; the species is grown as-is and is relatively uniform in the trade.