Herbs
Levisticum officinale
Lovage
A substantial perennial with celery-flavored leaves and tall summer flower stems. Give its clump room to mature. Remove forming flower stalks for continued leaf harvests. Cut dead stems after frost or before spring growth.
At a glance
- Sun
- Full sun to light shade
- Mature size
- Flower stems up to 6 ft. tall × Up to 3¼ ft. wide
- Water
- Rich, moist soil with drainage
- Life cycle
- Herbaceous perennial
Sizes & prices
- 4.5"$6.99
Catalog updated September 8, 2026. This is not a live stock count; please call to confirm availability and price.
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Resistance & tolerances
- Drought
- Water during prolonged dry spells.
- Wet soil
- Moist, not waterlogged.
Pollinators & wildlife
- Attracts
- Pollinators
Culinary uses
- Flavor
- Young leaves taste of celery with hints of anise.
- Try in
- Salads, soups, stews, potatoes and eggs.
- Harvest
- Pick young leaves; remove flower stalks to extend leaf production.
Seasonal interest
- Winter
- Dies back in autumn and resprouts in spring.
Growing & care
- Space
- Best alone in a large pot or with room in a bed.
- Spread
- Can self-seed; remove unwanted seedlings.
Water during dry spells. Cut back tired foliage for fresh growth and remove seedheads to limit volunteers.
Sources & photo credits
Photo: Acabashi · CC BY-SA 4.0
Image notes: Representative plant photograph; resized, not cropped. Not a photograph of current nursery stock.
Reviewed September 21, 2026. Growing conditions vary by location.