🌱✗ Tested and false“Lovage needs the same sharp, free-draining soil as other Mediterranean herbs”
Lovage wants the opposite: rich, moist soil that doesn't dry out, closer to celery's needs than to thyme's or rosemary's. Poorer, drier soils mean more frequent watering is needed to keep it healthy.
What to do: Dig in garden compost or well-rotted manure at planting and mulch thickly each spring, rather than adding grit for drainage the way you would for woody Mediterranean herbs like thyme or rosemary. Water more, not less, on lighter or free-draining soil.
In Scotland: One of the few herbs where damp Scottish ground genuinely suits the crop rather than working against it.
2 sources
- RHSPerforms best in rich, moist soil that doesn't dry out or get waterlogged
- Gardener's WorldMainly trouble-free in rich, deeply cultivated soil; poorer soils need frequent watering
“Only lovage's leaves are worth using; the rest of the plant is inedible”
Every part of the plant is edible: leaves, young blanched stems, seeds, and roots dug while the plant is dormant over winter.
What to do: Beyond picking leaves in spring and summer, blanch young stems with a paper sleeve for a milder-flavoured stem vegetable, save seeds in late summer for baking, and dig roots in winter for soups and stews once the plant is dormant.
2 sources
- RHSLeaves, blanched stems, seeds and roots are all usable
- Gardener's WorldAll parts of the lovage plant are edible, including the roots
“Letting lovage flower and set seed is harmless; it's just a bonus source of more plants”
Lovage self-seeds readily, and weeding out unwanted seedlings, or removing seedheads before they ripen, is necessary maintenance. Left unchecked, self-seeding is a real nuisance in this plant's case, not a free bonus.
What to do: Remove flower stems as they form if you want to keep the crop contained, which also has the separate benefit of extending the leaf harvest, since leaves turn bitter once flowerheads appear. If you do want seed for baking or propagation, deadhead everywhere else and let only a couple of stems flower.
1 source
- RHSSelf-seeds readily; weed out unwanted seedlings or remove seedheads before ripening
“Lovage only needs about 30-45cm of space, like most herbs”
RHS gives 30-45cm as an initial planting distance, with established plants spreading to about 1m wide after several years. A second UK source instead recommends planting 60-90cm apart from the start.
What to do: Plan for the mature size, not the initial figure: lovage can reach 2m tall with a spread approaching 1m, one of the largest herbs commonly grown in a UK garden. Give it 60-90cm from planting rather than discovering the crowding a few years in.
2 sources
- RHSAllow 30-45cm initially; established plants can reach 1m wide
- Gardener's WorldPlant 60-90cm apart
“Lovage tastes exactly like celery, so it can be swapped in 1:1 for celery or celery salt in any recipe”
Lovage's flavour is celery-like but distinctly its own: young leaves taste rather like celery, but sweeter, with a hint of parsley and aniseed, and unblanched stems carry a robust celery flavour rather than a match for celery itself. The plant is in the same family group as celery and parsley, which explains the resemblance, but the aniseed note and greater intensity mean it isn't a flavour clone.
What to do: Use lovage as a punchy celery-adjacent seasoning rather than a direct substitute — start with less than the celery quantity a recipe calls for, taste as you go, and expect a background aniseed note that plain celery doesn't have.
1 source
- RHS — How to grow lovageLeaves have a sweet, celery flavour; young leaves taste rather like celery but sweeter, with a hint of parsley and aniseed; the plant is closely related to celery and parsley; unblanched stems have a robust celery flavour.
