When to plant Lovage in Temperate Australia

Temperate zone — applies to Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Newcastle and similar areas. Growing elsewhere? Cool · Subtropical · Tropical · Arid.

Lovage is not recommended for temperate gardens under Potting's sowing calendar, which lists no suitable direct-sowing window for this zone. It is a large, cold-hardy perennial herb better matched to cooler districts, where reliable winter chill helps the crowns settle and reshoot vigorously each spring. In milder Melbourne, Sydney and Perth conditions it can struggle to get the cold cue it prefers and tends to sulk or bolt through summer heat. If you are set on growing it, treat it as an experiment rather than a staple, and expect a shorter-lived, less robust plant than gardeners in Hobart or the highlands enjoy.

Sowing calendar — temperate zone

No sowing window in this zone.

Growing notes

Lovage (Levisticum officinale) is a celery-flavoured perennial that naturally wants cold winters and cool summers. Temperate coastal gardens in Sydney, Newcastle and Perth generally lack the sustained winter chill it responds to, and its dislike of prolonged heat is the main reason it is left out of the temperate sowing calendar here.

The usual failure mode is a plant that establishes slowly, then bolts to seed and browns off through the first hot, dry summer, never building the deep crown that makes lovage worthwhile. Because it is a big plant, wanting roughly 100 cm between individuals with rows 60–90 cm apart, it also takes up a lot of bed for an uncertain return.

If you want to try it anyway:

• Give it the coolest, most sheltered corner you have, with afternoon shade and rich, moisture-retentive soil.
• Sow the 6 mm-deep seed in the coolest part of the year and keep it constantly moist through the 10–20 day germination.
• Mulch heavily and water deeply in summer to fake the cool root run it craves.

A more reliable path in temperate gardens is to grow celery or leaf celery for a similar flavour, or to source an established lovage plant rather than raising it from seed, so it skips the vulnerable early months.

Lovage at a glance

Common questions

Can I grow lovage in Sydney or Melbourne?

It is not recommended, as temperate coastal gardens rarely give lovage the cold winters it prefers. You can attempt it in a cool, shaded, well-watered corner, but expect it to struggle in summer heat and be shorter-lived than in cooler districts.

Why isn't lovage suited to temperate zones?

Lovage is a cold-climate perennial that thrives on winter chill and cool summers. Mild temperate conditions tend to make it bolt and brown off in hot weather, so it rarely builds the strong, long-lived crown it does in colder areas.

What can I grow instead of lovage for that celery flavour?

Leaf celery or ordinary celery both give a similar savoury, celery-like taste and cope far better with temperate summers. They fit the sowing calendar for this zone and are far more reliable than lovage.

How big does lovage get?

It is a large herb, needing about 100 cm between plants and rows 60–90 cm apart. That footprint is worth planning for, and is one reason it is a poor gamble in a small temperate garden where it may not thrive.

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