A while ago, I heard about a perennial herb that was said to resemble celery in appearance and flavor, grow as much as six feet tall, and had hollow stalks that could be used for straws. Six feet! Novelty straws! Color me happy. That was my introduction to lovage, Levisticum officinale. Little did I know how much more there was to appreciate.
Lovage originated in the Mediterranean region, was brought to Europe by the Romans and to America by the colonists. My three seedlings came from the Lyman Estate herb sale and the Waltham Fields Community Farm seedling sale. I plunked them in the back garden next to the air conditioning unit and left them alone. They are just that easy.
Lovage likes moisture —but resents wet feet — and prefers rich soil, but is not fussy about it. Mine are in a well-draining spot in part-sun. I have never added amendments to the soil, but I do cut back the stems at the end of the season and lay them around the plants. I have since read that lovage benefits from mulching with a thick layer of compost or well-rotted manure in autumn. I may try that this year.
In their first year, my lovage seedlings only managed a disappointing two-foot height. The second year, they got to four feet. Now, the flower heads max out consistently at six feet, which is more like it.
Lovage has fleshy, rhizomatic roots and will colonize your garden. Mine have expanded into a sizable clump, and an additional patch has popped up next to the driveway; some foraging creature transported seeds is my guess. Speaking of critters, lovage is generally unharmed by the predations of rabbits or woodchucks or chipmunks or voles — all happy denizens of my garden. Slugs or snails may bother your plants. I have not seen any on mine.
Pot up volunteer seedlings to share with friends. You can dig and divide mature plants. Know that the divisions will wilt dramatically (cut back the large stems) before resprouting; division is best done in early spring.
Lovage does well in a good-sized container provided it is heavy enough to support the height of the plant and that it has very good drainage. Let your lovage have the container to itself; it is too large to use in a mixed planting.
I enjoy lovage for the parlor trick of veg straws and the sheer delight of having a giant plant in the herb garden, but the entire plant is edible. The young leaves are the main attraction; harvest them early and often. They are very nice in a salad and complement potatoes and eggs. If you want a second flush of tender leaves, you can cut the foliage right back, taking care not to damage the heart of the plant.
In addition to serving as summertime straws, you can harvest blanched lovage stalks to munch like celery. When stalks are about one foot high, wrap thick paper around a few of them, securing it with twine; leave about one-third of the stalks exposed. Unblanched stems have a strong celery-parsley-like flavor and make robust additions to soups and stews.
When flowers appear in mid to late summer, you should stop harvesting — the leaves will be bitter. You can remove the flower stalks to prolong the leaf harvest (but postpone seed collection). The yellow-green flowers will be visited by bees and will set edible seeds. These can be nibbled when green, if you like, or left to dry on the plant. Hang the brown seed heads until thoroughly dry and store the dry seeds in tightly sealed jars. The aromatic seeds can be used in the same manner as caraway or fennel seeds in baking bread, cake, or cookies. The tuberous roots are also edible, peel and use them as you would other root vegetables; try them boiled or grate them fresh into salads. You can dig and store the roots as you would potatoes.
Seeds, leaves, roots, stalks, straws — all of it edible on a tall, sturdy plant. That’s a lot of reward for not much effort.
Dorothy gardens in Belmont, where she lives with her husband, Steve, and their dog Jasper. She has six grandchildren — all perfect by definition — and has enjoyed introducing them to gardening. She has an abiding interest in nature and is always amazed by the wonders to be found in her own backyard.
