Levisticum officinale Seeds | Lovage
LATIN NAME: Levisticum officinale
COMMON NAME: Lovage
Plant Profile
The first thing anyone notices about lovage is that the whole plant, leaf, stem, seed, and root, smells intensely of celery, only deeper and wilder. That scent comes from phthalides, notably ligustilide and butylphthalide, the same family of compounds that gives celery and angelica their savoury note. At full strength, the leaf and root carry the brothy, almost meaty aroma that once made lovage the backbone of stock pots across Europe.
Levisticum officinale is a robust perennial sending up hollow, grooved stems that can reach two metres, topped by large, pinnate, glossy green leaves reminiscent of celery foliage. In early summer it bears broad, many-rayed compound umbels of yellow-green florets, followed by flattened schizocarp fruits. The genus Levisticum is monotypic, holding essentially this one species, and the plant spreads by a thick rootstock rather than by runners.
The name is thought to derive from “Ligusticum,” pointing to Liguria in northern Italy, and the herb was grown in monastery and cottage gardens through the Middle Ages. It is sometimes called “love-ache,” a playful older name, and is easily confused with angelica and with celery, though its much larger, more sculptural leaves and stronger scent set it apart. The crushed root is especially pungent.
In the kitchen the leaves, stems, roots, and seeds all flavour soups, stocks, and stews, with a potency that means a little goes a long way; the seeds season breads and confectionery, and the young stems can be candied. Traditionally lovage was taken as a spring tonic and a digestive aid. In the garden the tall umbels are a reliable resource for predatory and pollinating insects through early summer.
Science & Biotechnology
The essential oil of lovage seed and root is rich in phthalides, above all ligustilide and butylidenephthalide, with coumarins and flavonoids such as quercetin and rutin also present. These compounds are responsible for both the characteristic odour and much of the traditional pharmacological interest. Because ligustilide is unstable and rearranges with heat and light, the composition of an extract depends heavily on how it was prepared.
In German-speaking countries lovage is nicknamed “Maggikraut,” the Maggi herb, because its crushed leaves smell strikingly like Maggi seasoning, the savoury broth preparation. The shared savoury note comes from the phthalides that lovage shares with celery and with the yeast-based seasoning. Gardeners exploit this by dropping a single leaf into soups and stocks, where it stands in for a long-simmered bone broth.
The seed oil and the root oil are not identical: the seeds lean on ligustilide and related phthalides, while the root adds a deeper, almost smoky note from its higher concentration of the same compounds. Because ligustilide rearranges readily with heat and air, analytical chemists use it as a marker to judge the freshness and authenticity of lovage preparations on the market, a practical check that matters where the dried root is traded as a botanical drug.
Uses & Benefits
Steam distillation of the seeds and roots yields the aromatic oil used in flavour and perfume work, while the leaf is more often used fresh or dried in cookery. A smaller body of lab work has looked at lovage cell and tissue cultures and at the antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties of its phthalides and coumarins, building on the plant’s long traditional use as a digestive and diuretic herb.
Growing from Seed
Lovage wants deep, rich, moist, well-drained soil and sun to light shade, and it rewards a site where it can stay for years. Sow the seed where it will grow or start it in pots, and thin or space plants to 45 to 60 cm apart once they carry several true leaves; division of the rootstock in spring is another reliable way to multiply it. Keep a deep mulch to hold soil moisture.
Water through dry spells so the big leaves do not scorch, and feed in spring with a balanced dressing to support the heavy foliage. As a hardy perennial it dies back in winter and returns from the crown, so cut the dead stems down in autumn and mulch the base. Watch for celery leaf miner on the foliage, plus aphids and the occasional rust; good airflow limits damage.
Our Take
I let one lovage plant stand as a perennial anchor at the back of the herb bed, and its seedlings wander to Chinese celery and Hamburg parsley. For more umbellifer neighbours try parsley and the angelica root of Chinese angelica.
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