Variety field guide
What to expect from Lovage
Lovage is a perennial lovage selection grown for perennial or repeat-cut herb gardens, culinary leaves, flowers, and seed saving where appropriate.
Read the complete product descriptionTraits, flavor, garden use, variety notes, and the full catalog record
Discover the unique charm of Lovage Parsley Seeds, a distinctive addition to your herb garden. Known for its vigorous growth, Lovage thrives in well-drained soil and full sun, making it a resilient choice for seasoned gardeners and novices alike. Its strong, aromatic presence enhances the depth of broths and stocks, offering a unique twist to traditional recipes.
About Lovage
Lovage is a perennial selection of lovage, with an upright/erect habit and an expected height or spread of 31–36 in. It is best suited to perennial or repeat-cut herb gardens, culinary leaves, flowers, and seed saving where appropriate. Notable traits include harvest clean leaves or tender stems before decline; reserve representative plants for flowering or division.
Choose Lovage when the garden plan calls for perennial or repeat-cut herb gardens, culinary leaves, flowers, and seed saving where appropriate and the listed upright/erect habit fits the available space.
History and provenance
This crop belongs to the carrot family, a group with a long history in Eurasian and Mediterranean foodways. The family includes leaf, root, stem, spice, and seed crops, but their culinary traditions do not prove a specific commercial seed lot or breeder lineage. Lovage (Levisticum officinale) Lovage carries a legacy that stretches back thousands of years, tracing its ancestry through the rugged mountains and fertile plains of southern Europe and western Asia. Though often associated with parsley due to its flavor and appearance, Lovage stands apart as one of the oldest cultivated herbs in the carrot family, prized by both ancient and medieval peoples for its food, fragrance, and healing properties. The Romans and Greeks considered Lovage a plant of vitality. Roman soldiers carried the seeds along their marches, using the leaves to flavor broths and the roots to ease digestion. Monastic gardens of the Middle Ages continued this lineage, tending Lovage in walled herbariums where it served as both medicine and seasoning. In medieval Britain, Lovage was a common presence in monastery cloisters, where the stems were candied or steeped in cordials believed to invigorate the spirit. Its strong, aromatic presence enhances the depth of broths and stocks, offering a unique twist to traditional recipes.
Growing facts
| Scientific name | Levisticum officinale W.D.J.Koch |
|---|---|
| Life cycle | Perennial |
| Maturity | 120-129 Days |
| Germination | 10-21 Days at 65–80 °F |
| Seed depth | 1/8 in |
| Plant height / spread | 31–36 in |
| Growth habit | Upright/Erect |
| Spacing | 12 in between plants; 24 in between rows |
| Sunlight | Full sun |
| Soil | Loamy; pH 6.5–7.0 |
| Water | Moderate |
| Support | No-Support |
Starting Lovage from seed
Sow 1/8 in deep and keep the seed zone evenly moist. Expect emergence in 10-21 Days when the seed-zone temperature is near 65–80 °F. Germination preparation: Use a fine, evenly moist seed-starting mix or prepared seedbed. Light requirement: Light aids germination; barely cover. Soaking: None required. Stratification: None required. Scarification: None required.
Planting and care
Plant during spring and provide full sun. Space plants 12 in apart with 24 in between rows. Use loamy with a pH near 6.5–7.0, and follow a moderate watering plan. Support requirement: No-Support. Frost response: Hardy. Large permanent container possible, but in-ground culture usually supports longer life
Harvest and use
Approximately 120-129 Days, from sowing to the first established harvest or bloom. Weather, soil temperature, and planting method can shift the actual harvest date. Harvest: Harvest clean leaves or tender stems before decline; reserve representative plants for flowering or division. Uses: Perennial or repeat-cut herb gardens, culinary leaves, flowers, and seed saving where appropriate. Flavor: aromatic or tangy flavor specific to the named herb. Seed saving: Insect-pollinated umbel crop. Best uses include perennial or repeat-cut herb gardens, culinary leaves, flowers, and seed saving where appropriate. Flavor and eating quality: aromatic or tangy flavor specific to the named herb.
Saving seed
Select several healthy, true-to-type Lovage plants that match the expected upright/erect habit and overall plant form. Avoid saving seed only from the earliest or largest individual unless that is your deliberate selection goal. Pollination system: Insect-pollinated umbel crop. Compatible plants of the same species can cross through insect activity; wild relatives matter for carrot and parsnip. Separate compatible varieties that may flower together, or use cages, barriers, hand pollination, or another documented control appropriate to the crop. Lovage is a perennial. Seed production may require overwintering, vernalization, or more than one growing season, depending on climate and crop biology. Clean the seed carefully, dry it thoroughly away from direct heat, label the lot with variety and year, and store it cool, dark, and dry. Test germination before an important planting or distribution season.
Common problems
Common concerns: Carrot rust fly or root maggot where present, aphids, caterpillars, leaf spots, damping-off, and uneven emergence from crusted soil. Management: Use clean seedbeds, rotation, careful watering, prompt thinning, airflow, and locally appropriate exclusion methods. Diagnosis note: Similar symptoms can have different causes. Compare plants of the same age, record weather and irrigation, and use local Extension or diagnostic support before applying a control.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions - Lovage
When is Lovage ready? Use 120-129 Days. Approximately 120-129 Days, from sowing to the first established harvest or bloom. Weather, soil temperature, and planting method can shift the actual harvest date.
How long does germination take? Expect 10-21 Days at about 65–80 °F. Cooler, hotter, crusted, saturated, or dry seedbeds can slow emergence.
How large does it grow? Expect about 31–36 in with an upright/erect habit. Space plants 12 in apart and rows 24 in apart. Support: No-Support.
Can it grow in a container? Large permanent container possible, but in-ground culture usually supports longer life Use a container with drainage and enough volume to maintain the listed spacing and steady moisture.
Can I save seed? Insect-pollinated umbel crop. Keep compatible varieties isolated and allow selected plants to reach full seed maturity.
