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Levisticum officinale
Also called Garden lovage
Lovage is a tall, robust perennial herb, the only species in its genus, grown for its celery-and-parsley flavoured leaves, roots and seeds. It thrives in cool, moist, fertile soil and is hardy in temperate gardens.
Lovage ( LUV-ij; Levisticum officinale) is a perennial plant, the sole species in the genus Levisticum in the family Apiaceae, subfamily Apioideae. It is native to Afghanistan and Iran.
It has been long cultivated in Europe and the leaves are used as a herb, the roots as a vegetable, and the seeds as a spice, especially in southern European cuisine. Its flavour and smell are reminiscent both of celery and parsley, only more intense and spicier than either. The seeds can be used in the same way as fennel seeds.
Levisticum officinale is native to Afghanistan and Iran, but has been introduced to most of Europe, parts of Southeast Asia, and the Americas.
The leaves can be used in salads, or to make soup or season broths, and the roots can be eaten as a vegetable or grated for use in salads. Its flavour and smell are reminiscent both of celery and parsley, only more intense and spicy than either. The seeds can be used as a spice in the same way as fennel seeds.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Lovage by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
Pet safety from the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists.
