PlantFiles: Lovage
Levisticum officinale

From your friends at Botanical Interests: This heirloom celery relative is a "salad herb" that has been grown as a seasoning since the time of the ancient Greeks and Romans. It has a stronger, warmer flavor than celery (a cross between celery and anise). The leaves can be added to soups or stews, and salads. The seeds can be saved and ground as a salt substitute. You can even cut the hollow stems to use as natural straws (A cool way to serve tomato beverages and Bloody Marys.) Of course, this vigorous plant is much larger than celery. On average, the plants reach 3'-6' tall. Hardy to USDA zone 3, the plants die back to the ground each winter and return in the spring. It is tolerant of sun or shade, and if you allow the plants to flower, they will attract beneficial insects to your garden.

In my garden lovage has become invasive. I have not been able to get rid of it. I put it in a bed with excellent soil and a watering system. It nearly took over. I am still not rid of it. The leaves taste good cut up in salad dressing, but as far as I am concerned, celery leaves are just as good and are not invasive.
Spread by seed and underground runners.

I also found lovage to be quite versatile, but it was too big for my small sun garden. It's as hardy as they come and thrived in the heavy clay Idaho soil, never showing even the least bit of ill health. I see here that it's height is normally no more than 4'... perhaps mine was freakish, but if left uncut the stalks got up to 9' tall, dwarfing the sunflowers, and had to be staked. I didn't use it near enough to let it take up so much space in my garden, so I had to get rid of it.

Of all the herbs I have grown in my garden, I find lovage to be the most versatile. I planted it about ten years ago and it has come up regularly with no hinderance from insects or disease. A comparatively large herb, lovage must be grown in an area where it can thrive without shading out smaller plants or causing any obstruction. I am constantly chopping up the leaves to use in green salads, soups and stews. Its also a great additive when barbequing fish in tin foil, and it can be chopped finely and placed in burger patties. I also use it in pasta salads, gravy and tomato sauce.

Lovage can sometimes taste bitter after a dry spell or later in the season.

Lovage can be harvested from spring through fall for use instead of buying celery. Regular harvesting keeps the plant from out-growing its boundaries, and from self-sowing everywhere.

Division is very simple: just a light tug on one of the shoots re-planted will work.

Slugs seem to like it as much as people, though, so it should be protected until it grows large enough to withstand some damage.

Lovage is a very tall perennial herb native to the Balkan countries. It was a favorite herb in colonial gardens and used as a flavoring much like celery. In fact, it looks like a giant celery plant and can be substituted for celery in almost any recipe. The hollow stems and seeds can be candied to make sweet confections.

Lovage prefers cool growing conditions with a winter dormancy so it is not suitable for tropical zones. Plants grow up to 5 feet tall when in flowers and the light green leaves are a bold attractive addition to the herb garden. Flowers are a seedy yellowish-green cluster and not very ornamental. Some gardeners prefer to cut the seed stalks off to keep the apperance tidy. Grow lovage in partial sun in good garden soil and adequate moisture.