Lovage: herb garden classic in frilly attire
Many gardeners grow lovage as an ornamental herb. Its aromatic perfume, leaves, and seeds enliven gardens and kitchens.
To the untrained eye, lovage (Levisticum officinale) may be mistaken for celery, but while they are in fact related, lovage is much easier to grow in the garden. You can use the edible lovage leaves, seeds and roots in the kitchen. Find out how to propagate lovage and why Charlemagne of all people is credited with the herb’s widespread popularity in Europe.
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Lovage: origin and properties
The lovage herb originally comes from the Middle East. It most likely found its way to Europe when Charlemagne decreed it be grown in all monastery herb gardens. It is still grown in many gardens and can even be found in the wild after having escaped domestic gardens.
Tip: Wear gloves when handling lovage because it can cause phototoxic skin reactions when exposed to sunlight.
Just like parsley and carrot, lovage is one of many other garden tenants belonging to the Apiaceae family. It is a hardy herbaceous perennial with green stalks. In late autumn or winter, the above-ground parts of the plant die back, leaving only the underground rhizome, from which new leaves sprout in early spring. Lovage flowers do not appear until the second year, when the inflorescences can grow up to two metres tall.
What does lovage look like?
Leaves: Each spring, lovage plants re-emerge with brand new stalks. Smooth leaves grow from the stalks and change from light to dark green depending on nutrient supply and light. You will generally find different leaves on one plant: The lower, older leaves are much more clearly pinnate than the younger leaves, which grow higher up. The lower the leaves are on the stalk, the longer they are.
Flowers: As an umbellifer of the Apiaceae family, lovage flowers grow into characteristic umbels. More precisely, the inflorescences form compound umbels, which can reach up to 12 cm in diameter. The flowers themselves are simple, with colours ranging from yellow to green.
Tip: Florists use the large blooms in cottage garden arrangements.
Fruit: In late summer, lovage flowers develop into the typical umbellifer fruits, known as double-achenes. These are made up of two fruits, each of which contains a seed.
Roots: The rhizome grows steadily every year and serves as the herb’s survival organ during winter, when it dies back above ground. Lovage roots grow from the rhizome. The rhizome is technically part of the stalks and sprouts again in spring.
Is lovage perennial?
Yes, lovage herbs are hardy perennials that can live for up to 15 years. Their rootstock grows stronger and larger overtime, sprouting again each spring. With just a little care, it is easy to ensure a successful lovage harvest.
Is the herb bee-friendly?
Lovage flowers are very popular among insects, yet they only have a medium nectar value and a low pollen value for bees. So, bees prefer more attractive plants such as calendula (Calendula officinalis) or fiddleneck (Phacelia tanacetifolia), among many others. Lovage, on the other hand, attracts hoverflies, which are beneficial pollinators that feed on aphids and white flies while they are larvae.
Plants similar to lovage
Especially when young, lovage’s taste, smell and appearance are reminiscent of celery. The herb has some poisonous relatives within the umbellifer family, notably cowbane (Cicuta virosa), hemlock (Conium maculatum) and ass’s parsley (Aethusa cynapium) and while getting lovage confused with them may be unlikely, it can have serious consequences. Avoid any predicament by not picking wild lovage, as it rarely found growing in the wild.
Another similar plant is Scots lovage (Ligusticum scoticum), which is resistant to rust diseases and tastes more like parsley. It is best grown in a pot, meaning its always at hand to add flavour to dishes.
Propagating lovage
Propagating lovage takes little time and hardly any gardening knowledge. Here are two different propagation methods.
Sowing lovage seeds
To grow lovage from seed, either start the seeds inside before transplanting them or sow the seeds directly in the garden or a pot. You can purchase lovage seeds in garden centres or save them yourself from inflorescences in autumn. Start lovage seedlings indoors in February or March and plant outdoors from April. Alternatively, sow the seeds directly in the bed from April to August. The seeds may take longer to germinate when sown outdoors.
When sowing, cover the seeds lightly with no more than 1 cm of soil. At ideal temperatures of 18 to 22 °C, lovage seeds germinate after about ten days. If you already have the herb growing in your garden, you can certainly save its seeds for sowing but propagating it by division will be easier. Wear gloves when working with lovage to avoid skin irritation.
Dividing lovage plants
Lovage has a large and vigorous root system with long, thick taproots that act as rhizomes. It is easy to propagate lovage by dividing the roots. In late autumn or in spring before it grows again, dig up the lovage plant with its roots. Remove the soil from the root system to get a good picture of the plant’s roots. Using a spade or a sharp knife, cut through the parent plant’s rhizome.
If you are not sure, you can just cut the parent plant in half. For several new lovage plants, divide the roots into small sections. Make sure that each piece has enough roots and at least one bud to re-sprout. Transfer the plant parts back into the soil and space them at least 1 m apart. Mix in some plant-based fertiliser such as our Plantura All Purpose Plant Food into the soil to ensure healthy plant development. This slow release fertiliser contains no animal products and continuously supplies nutrients to your plants. And while you may use compost as an alternative, it is easy to apply too much or too little by accident.
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Summary: Dividing lovage
- Dig up the plant in late autumn or early spring
- Remove soil around roots
- Divide into sections with at least one bud
- Mix compost or fertiliser into soil
- Replant lovage plants spaced 1 m apart
Find out where to plant lovage and which companion plants it grows well with in our article on planting lovage.
