Lovage facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lovage |
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Levisticum
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L. officinale
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| Levisticum officinale W.D.J.Koch
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Lovage (Levisticum officinale) is a tall plant that comes back year after year. It's known for its strong smell, which is a bit like celery. People often use its leaves, roots, and seeds in cooking.
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What Lovage Looks Like
Lovage is a big plant that can grow up to 1.8 to 2.5 meters (about 6 to 8 feet) tall! It's a type of plant called an herbaceous perennial, which means it has soft stems (not woody like a tree) and lives for more than two years.
The plant has a bunch of leaves at its base, and more leaves grow along its stems. Its flowers grow in umbrella-shaped clusters at the very top. Both the stems and leaves are shiny and smooth, ranging from green to yellow-green. If you crush them, they smell a lot like celery.
The biggest leaves at the bottom can be up to 70 centimeters (about 27 inches) long. They are divided into many smaller leaflets that are shaped like triangles or diamonds with pointed tips and a few small teeth along the edges. The leaves higher up on the stem are smaller and less divided.
Lovage flowers are yellow to greenish-yellow and are quite small, about 2 to 3 millimeters (less than an inch) across. They grow in round clusters that can be 10 to 15 centimeters (about 4 to 6 inches) wide. Lovage usually blooms in late spring. After flowering, the plant produces a dry fruit with two parts, each about 4 to 7 millimeters (less than an inch) long. These fruits are ready in the autumn.
How People Use Lovage
Lovage is a very useful plant in the kitchen!
Cooking with Lovage
- You can use the fresh leaves of lovage in salads to add a unique flavor.
- They are also great for making tasty soups.
- The roots of the lovage plant can be cooked and eaten like other vegetables.
- You can also grate the roots and mix them into salads.
- The seeds of lovage can be used as a spice to flavor different dishes.
Traditional Drinks
In the United Kingdom, people traditionally mixed lovage cordial (a sweet syrup) with brandy to make a special drink for the winter months.
Images for kids
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A lovage plant beginning to bloom in June, 2.78 m (9 ft 1 in) tall
See also
In Spanish: Levístico para niños
