Garden lovage Culturally Significant Plant

1
garden lovage Levisticum officinale W.D.J.
Koch Synonyms Levisticum paludapifolium,
Hipposelinum levisticum. Other common names
lovage, love parsley, sea parsley, smallage,
maggi plant.
Photo courtesy of Ontario, Canada government.

• Food
• Due to its hardiness and strong celery taste it
  has become a popular plant in many gardens. It
  is used as a spicy vegetable in salads, salad
  dressings, soups, sauces, candies, syrups and
  liqueurs.
• Culturally
• Lovage is native to Afghanistan. It came to
  America with the earliest European settlers and
  soon became naturalized. History records Greeks
  and Romans using it extensively. They placed
  leaves in sandals to alleviate bad odors.
• Medicinally
• Best known for its ability to help digestion and
  relieve flatulence. The tea has been used to
  treat coughs, sore throats, colds, sinus
  problems, jaundice, malaria, reduce water
  retention, alleviate kidney stones, as a diuretic
  and to stimulate menstruation. It is also used
  in baths to relieve skin and eye irritations.

Slide developed by Pat Broyles, Soil
Conservationist, Manhattan, KS. PMC. USDA is an
equal opportunity employer.