Lovage

Although Lovage  Levisticum officinale can make a large plant – up to 2m – ours grows in a pot and rarely gets beyond 75cm.  While the green leaves make this a fine foliage plant it is so much more: it has edible uses from root to tip plus it is an important plant for pollinators and pest eating visitors!   Lots more information on its uses can be found below

Perennial

Price for 25 seeds

Caution - you should not consume Lovage whilst pregnant or if suffering from kidney disease (it has diuretic properties)

SPRING: sow the seeds in trays or plugs, depth up to 10mm.  Bottom heat of 15ºC is helpful.  When large enough to handle pot on strongest seedlings. Harden off then plant 45-60cm apart or a specimen in a container: remember Lovage can grow 1-2m tall!

SUMMER: don’t cut too much in the first year, allow plants to establish.  From the 2nd year clip to encourage fresh young growth.

WINTER: cut back so stems don’t flop, fully hardy, no need to protect. Leave some hollow stems for ladybirds to overwinter in.

TIP – for the best flavoured leaves pick them before the plant flowers.  Freeze the leaves until you want to use them. 

USES:

WILDLIFE

• Pollinators love this plant, particularly Solitary Bees who are excellent pollinators
• Hoverflies: their larvae are voracious predators of aphids and other garden pests.
• Different varieties of wasps might visit including parasitic wasps whose larvae enjoy feasting on unwanted pests… brassica-munching caterpillars to sawflies, ants and aphids
• Soldier Beetles: adults feed on aphids and eat pollen and nectar. Larvae prey on ground-dwelling invertebrates, such as slugs and snails, and live at the base of long grasses. The adults spend much of their short, summer lives mating, and can often be seen in pairs…hence they are also known as Bonking Beetles

EDIBLE: caution - you should not consume Lovage whilst pregnant or if suffering from kidney disease (it has diuretic properties)

• Rich celery like flavour for stews, soups and casseroles; pairs well with chicken & pork
• young leaves in salads
• use sparingly as strong flavour, can substitute for parsley or celery in recipes but in smaller quantities
• add to fermented pickles
• lovage can be dried and frozen to be used whenever you feel like it
• Edible from root to tip including the seeds: use as you would fennel seed in tea, curries or stews. 

HISTORICAL

• Once upon a time a hair-wash or rinse made with a lovage infusion was thought to be an attractant & an aphrodisiac
• As a vegetable it has fallen into disuse but in the past leafstalks and stem bases were formerly blanched like celery
• Although lovage has been grown in monastic & cottage gardens for centuries it is not a native plant, it originates from the Mediterranean area
• No great claims are made about its herbal properties, rather it is thought its popularity had  a lot to do with its pleasing aromatic odour!

OTHER

• Dried leaves make an aromatic tea
• Lovage infusion is a refreshing addition to bath water
• From the 1300’s Lovage has been used for indigestion, heartburn, stomach bloating, intestinal gas, irregular menstrual periods, sore throat, boils, yellowed skin (jaundice), dry & spotty skin, malaria, fluid around the lung (pleurisy), gout, joint pain (rheumatism), and various headaches: further research on the efficacy is required
• Caution should be exercised: you should not consume Lovage for any purpose whilst pregnant or if suffering from kidney disease (it has diuretic properties)

• Please Note: we do not promote the medicinal use of plants – guidance and information should be sought elsewhere.