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Common Name: Scottish Lovage

General Information

Ligusticum scoticum is a perennial plant that can grow up to 0.60 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Northwestern Europe, including Britain, from Denmark to Norway.

Habitat

Rocky coasts in northern Britain[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.60 m
Pollinators	Insects
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Succeeds in any well-drained soil in a sunny position[, ]. Dislikes shade. Succeeds in dry soils[].
Plants are hardy to at least -15°c[].
Scottish lovage has occasionally been cultivated as a pot herb, though it has been largely supplanted by celery[, , ].
All parts of the plant are aromatic when bruised, the aroma being likened to a mixture of parsley, angelica and pear skin[].

Edible Uses

Leaves, flowers and young shoots - raw or cooked[, , , ]. Strong and not very pleasant[]. Superb in salads[]. The leaves are usually blanched in order to make the flavour milder[, ], though this also reduces the nutritional value[]. A celery-like flavour, it is used as a seasoning in salads, soups etc[]. Another report says that the flavour is more like parsley[].
Stem - used as a flavouring in soups, stews etc[, ]. A celery-like flavour[]. The green stem is peeled and eaten[].
Root - raw or cooked[, , ]. A sweet flavour[].
Seed - ground into a powder and used as a flavouring in soups and stews[, , ]. A sharp, hot taste it is used in the same ways as pepper[].
The young shoots and roots are occasionally candied like angelica[].

Medicinal

The root is aromatic and carminative[]. It is used in the treatment of hysterical and uterine disorders[, ].
The seeds are sweetly aromatic and have been used as a carminative, deodorant and stimulant[, , ]. They are also sometimes used for flavouring other herbal remedies[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - the seed only has a short period of viability and so is best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame in the autumn. Stored seed should be sown as early in the year as possible in a greenhouse or cold frame[]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer if they have grown large enough. Otherwise, keep them in a cold frame for the first winter and plant them out in early summer.
Division of the rootstock in early spring. Make sure that each section of root has at least one growth bud. Very easy, larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring.