lovage

When to plant lovage?

Botanical name
Levisticum officinale
Family
Apiaceae

Lovage is planted from April to June. It is harvested from April to July. It is cut back from October to November.

Lovage is a perennial plant. The edible parts are the roots, leaves, flowers and seeds.

lovage
Photo: 4028mdk09 · CC BY-SA 3.0

Lovage through the year

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Planting
Harvest
Cutting back
15913172125293337414549
  • planting
  • harvest
  • cutting back

In short

Planting
from April to June
weeks 18 to 24
Spacing between plants
30 to 100 cm
Harvest
from April to July
weeks 14 to 30
Cutting back
from October to November
weeks 42 to 46
Renewal
every two years
Propagation
division and seed

Growing conditions

🪨
Soil
loamy
🧪
pH
6.5
☀️
Sun
full sun
💧
Water
moderate water
❄️
Frost
overwinters outdoors
🌱
Nutrients
a moderate feeder
📏
Height
90 to 180 cm
⚠️
Toxicity
toxic to cats and dogs

Pests and diseases

Listed here is every problem for which the sources name this plant as a host. The problems are not listed in order of how common they are.

Slugs and snails

pest
Signs
Holes appear in the middle of the leaf rather than along the edge, young plants are eaten down to the ground, and there are slimy trails in the morning. On low-growing fruit there are gnawed pits.
Prevention
Remove the hiding places beside the bed: boards, stones, dense weeds. Water in the morning and not in the evening, so that the night is dry. Spread a band of coarse sand or gravel around the bed. Cover young plants with fleece. Pick them off at night, which is still the most effective measure.

Keep track of your plants with Tendask

Log the task and set a reminder for the next one. Every plant keeps its own history, so there is nothing to guess at.

Get it on Android

Related plants

The plants below are in the same botanical family (Apiaceae).

Sources about the plant: ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants, BUND Region Hannover, GBIF Backbone Taxonomy, NC State Extension Plant Toolbox, Royal Horticultural Society, University of Georgia Extension, University of New Hampshire Extension, Wikidata. Checked between 14 and 28 August 2026. The problem descriptions also draw on: University of Maryland Extension, University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension.