When I was at the nursery the other day I bought a start of Lovage. Perhaps 30 years ago, I grew it, and all I remember is that it was perennial, grew over my head (5 feet) and tasted like strong celery. I think we had a time digging it out when I wanted to plant something different there. I **think** I remember it being deeply rooted, but it was at least 25 years ago - so memory is a bit fuzzy...

I looked up Lovage here on the database, then looked on the other site we used to belong to.... there were comments there about it being really invasive. Invasive is not a good word in my garden.

Now I am not sure what to do with it. I planned on putting it in the mixed perennial border, as a tall accent plant that would give me some cuttings for stew etc. It would be in with peony, phlox, daylily, bee balm etc.

Now I am wondering if I should even plant it at all.

I am in Central Ohio. I used to be zone 5 but now they say zone 6 but I don't really believe them.

Thoughts?

I grow lovage in my Zone 8 herb garden. It gets about 6-7' tall and has clumped out in proportion to its height but has not been overly aggressive. I do find seedlings now and again but they are easily pulled out, and they are not a nuisance. I initially planted three 4" pots which was entirely overkill. One is plenty. Or perhaps 2-3 spaced out so they become a repeating theme rather than a hedge. Here's a photo before it blooms, with elecampane and sea holly next to it. I have since moved the sea holly (it was getting drowned) and have let the elecampane spread out next to the lovage. They are both quite tall but with much different foliage and flowers. Lovage will stand on its own, but I have problems with elecampane leaning over (not happy about that). What the heck, you have it, plant it. You may love it (ha ha).

This is encouraging!

Maybe if I can remember to keep it dead headed it will help.

Thanks!

It is not a problem in my zone 5 garden. I do cut the flowers off , I think like with most plants it is stronger when flowering and This plant does not need to be stronger.

We're zone 6a. We have a lovage plant that is at least 6 years old now and already today it is as large as it will get for the season. It's a bit weather beaten from the winds yesterday but we just give it a haircut to tidy it up and it's a happy plant. It's against a fence, surrounded by landscape cloth and with a half circle of raised beds in front of it. Because of its location we've never had a problem with it becoming a nuisance.

That is a beautiful plant!

I put mine by a wire fence, in a rather out of the way spot, just in case it gets huge.

Time will tell how it goes!