Lovage

Lovage is the herb that nobody plants twice in the same spot. It is a perennial that comes back earlier than almost anything else in the spring garden — often pushing through snow — and grows with an enthusiasm that can be alarming. By midsummer, a well-established lovage plant can be five to seven feet tall and three feet wide, shading out anything planted too close. The mistake most gardeners make is treating it like parsley or chives and putting it in the center of the herb bed, where it proceeds to monopolize light, water, and attention for the next decade.

The flavor is intense — somewhere between celery and parsley, with a slight anise note — and a little goes a long way. The young leaves can be used fresh in salads or soups; the older leaves and stems make a strong broth base. The seeds, when the plant flowers in its second year, can be used like celery seed. One plant is usually enough for a household; two plants is more than enough unless you are making soup for a restaurant.

Lovage is cold-hardy to at least zone 3 and unbothered by frost. It can be transplanted as soon as the soil is workable in spring — right around your last frost date — and it establishes quickly if the soil is rich and stays consistently moist. The root system goes deep, which means it can tolerate some drought once mature, but in its first season it appreciates regular watering. Mulching around the base helps keep the soil cool and damp, which the plant prefers.

The main challenge with lovage is keeping it in proportion. If left to grow unchecked, it becomes a dense, self-shading thicket that produces fewer tender young leaves and more tough, bitter stems. Harvest heavily and often — cutting stems back to the base every few weeks throughout the growing season keeps the plant compact and encourages a steady supply of fresh growth. A lovage plant that is not harvested regularly tends to bolt early, flower prolifically, and then die back in a sulk by late summer.

Site it carefully. The back corner of a bed, behind shorter plants, or along a fence line where its height becomes an asset rather than a problem. Do not plant it where you will need to reach past it for something else, and do not underestimate how large it will become by year three. A lovage plant in the wrong spot is difficult to move — the taproot is substantial — and difficult to remove entirely, as any piece of root left in the ground may resprout.

In the fall, after a hard frost, the foliage dies back completely. Cut it to the ground and mulch the crown with compost or shredded leaves. It will return in early spring, often before you remember you planted it.