Lovage: growing and caring for this culinary herb

Published on 27 September 2026

Lovage is the giant of the herb garden, a robust perennial that throws up hollow, celery-scented stems to head height in a single season. Its glossy, deeply divided foliage makes a handsome backdrop for a potager or border, while flat umbels of greenish-yellow flowers draw hoverflies and parasitic wasps by the hundred. One mature plant supplies more leaf than most households can use — which is precisely its charm.

Growing conditions

Lovage performs best in full sun, where stems stand upright and the flavour is at its most pungent. In hot, dry summer regions, light afternoon shade keeps the leaves tender and delays bolting. Give it a sheltered spot, as the tall flowering stems can snap in exposed gardens.

A deep, humus-rich loam suits it perfectly — this is a plant with a substantial taproot that resents shallow, stony ground. Aim for a pH between 6.0 and 7.5, and dig in plenty of garden compost or well-rotted manure before planting. Heavy clay is tolerated provided winter waterlogging is avoided, as soggy crowns rot.

Thoroughly hardy across northern Europe and into Scandinavia, lovage shrugs off hard frost once dormant. In Mediterranean or southern US gardens it behaves almost as a spring and autumn crop, retreating during the hottest weeks.

How to plant Levisticum

Plant young plants or divisions in early spring or early autumn, when the soil is warm and reliably moist. Autumn planting gives roots time to establish before the first growth surge.

Allow at least 60–90 cm between plants: a mature clump is far wider than nursery pots suggest, and crowded plants suffer mildew.
Set the crown level with the soil surface — burying it invites rot, while raising it exposes the buds to frost heave.
Fork a bucketful of well-rotted manure into the planting hole, working it 30 cm deep to suit the taproot.
Water in generously and mulch with 5 cm of compost, keeping the material clear of the crown itself.
Sow fresh seed in late summer or early autumn — viability drops sharply after a year — or lift and divide established clumps in early spring, ensuring each piece has a visible bud.

Levisticum officinale growing in a garden border — Levisticum officinale growing in a naturalistic garden border

Care through the seasons

Spring: Shoots emerge early, often by March, and grow with astonishing speed. Apply a balanced organic feed or a generous mulch of compost as growth begins, then start picking outer leaves once stems reach 30 cm. Watch for slugs, which adore the soft new shoots.

Summer: Keep the soil evenly moist; drought stress makes leaves coarse, bitter and prone to yellowing. Unless you want seed, cut flowering stems out at the base in June or July to push the plant back into fresh leaf. A hard cut-back to 15 cm after flowering produces a tender second flush within a month.

Autumn: Harvest seed in late summer once the umbels turn brown, then cut the plant to ground level as foliage yellows. This is the ideal moment to divide congested clumps, which benefit from splitting every four to five years. Mulch the crown with leaf mould on cold, exposed sites.

Winter: Lovage dies back completely and needs no protection in most temperate gardens. Simply ensure the dormant crown is not sitting in standing water.

Best varieties to grow

Lovage is almost always sold as the straight species, but a few selections and close relatives are worth seeking out.

Levisticum officinale (species) — the standard garden form, vigorous and intensely aromatic; unnamed seed is perfectly good.
Levisticum officinale ‘Magnus’ — a broad-leaved selection offered by some continental European seed houses, grown for heavy leaf yields.
Ligusticum scoticum (Scots lovage) — a compact coastal native reaching only 60 cm, with a milder, celery-parsley flavour, ideal for small plots.
Smyrnium olusatrum (alexanders, or black lovage) — a self-seeding biennial with similar culinary uses and earlier, more ornamental yellow-green umbels.

Pests, diseases and common problems

Celery leaf miner (Euleia heraclei): Pale blistered tunnels disfigure the leaves from late spring. Pick off and destroy affected foliage promptly, and cut the whole plant back hard to force clean regrowth.
Aphids: Colonies of green or black aphids cluster on flower stems and shoot tips, causing distortion. Blast them off with a jet of water or encourage predators by letting a few umbels flower; ladybirds and hoverflies do the rest.
Leaf spot and powdery mildew: Brown blotches or a dusty white film appear on crowded, dry-rooted plants in late summer. Improve air movement by thinning stems, water at the base rather than overhead, and remove infected leaves.
Premature bolting and bitterness: Leaves turn tough and strongly medicinal once flowering begins. Remove flower stalks as they appear and keep the soil moist to maintain tender, sweet foliage.

Frequently asked questions

Key tip: Cut lovage back hard after flowering — a plant chopped to 15 cm in midsummer will reward you with a tender, sweet second crop of leaves by early autumn.

Does lovage spread and is it invasive?

The clump itself expands slowly, widening to around a metre over several years, so it never runs like mint. It can, however, self-seed freely if the umbels are left to ripen — cut the seed heads in late summer if you want to avoid seedlings appearing across the bed.

When should I sow lovage seed and how long does it take to germinate?

Sow fresh seed in late summer or early autumn in pots left outdoors, as a spell of cold improves germination; spring sowings at around 15–18 °C also work but are less reliable. Seedlings appear in two to four weeks, and plants reach full flowering size in their second or third season.

Why are my lovage leaves turning yellow in midsummer?

The usual cause is drought combined with flowering: once the plant commits to seed, the lower foliage yellows and dies back naturally. Cut the stems to 15 cm, water deeply and feed, and fresh green growth should follow within three to four weeks.

Is lovage a good substitute for celery?

Yes, and a far easier one to grow — a single plant replaces a row of celery for soups, stocks and stews. Use it sparingly though, as the leaves are roughly three times stronger than celery; one or two leaves flavour a whole pan, and the hollow stems make excellent straws for a tomato-based drink.