Lovage

Lovage can be started indoors six to eight weeks before the last spring frost, sown thickly and transplanted once seedlings carry four true leaves, or sown directly outdoors in spring or fall for germination the following spring. Direct-sown seedlings are thinned first to about six inches apart and later to eighteen to twenty-four inches, with transplants set the same distance apart in rows three feet apart; seeds typically germinate in ten to fourteen days.

The plant grows best in full sun to partial shade and in moist, well-drained, fertile soil, reaching three to six feet tall and two to three feet wide. Regular pruning through the growing season keeps a supply of tender new leaves coming, old foliage can be cut back in late fall, and the plant can also be propagated by root division.

Lovage dies back to the ground each winter and resprouts the following spring; because it self-seeds readily and has escaped cultivation in some regions, harvesting seed heads at regular intervals helps keep it from spreading beyond the garden.

Lovage can be affected by tarnished plant bug, celery worm, and leafminer, along with early blight, late blight, and other leaf spot diseases.

Leaves can be harvested as needed once plants are established in their first year, and are most tender when cut frequently to encourage new growth; whole branches may be cut from second-year plants onward. Seed heads are left on the plant until they begin to turn brown in autumn before being cut for harvest.

Dried lovage roots hold their coumarin content better than fresh roots when kept in storage at room temperature, while fresh roots show more variable losses whether they are kept chilled or at room temperature.

Culinary: Every part of lovage is used in the kitchen. The leaves flavor salads, soups, stews, and chicken dishes; the stems can be blanched like celery or candied like angelica; the seeds go into breads, cakes, and meat dishes as a spice; and the roots are cooked or eaten fresh as a vegetable or steeped for tea. The greenish-yellow flowers, which taste of celery, are added to salads and broths.

Ornamental: Beyond the kitchen, lovage is grown as a border or specimen plant in herb and edible gardens for its tall, showy flower stalks, which draw butterflies and other pollinators.

Medicinal: Alongside its culinary role, lovage has long been used as a traditional medicinal plant.

Lovage originates from the eastern Mediterranean region, with wild populations recorded in Iran and Afghanistan. It has been cultivated across Europe for centuries, particularly in southern European cuisine, and its Latin name is thought to derive from Liguria in northwest Italy, where the herb was once grown extensively. From this long history of European cultivation, lovage was later introduced to parts of Southeast Asia and the Americas, including Canada and the northern United States.