ABSTRACT
Scotch lovage is native to the north temperate region, including Eurasia and Greenland. In North America it is indigenous to western British Columbia, eastern Canada, the states of Alaska, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. In some regions where the species is rare, it is protected by legislation and should not be collected from nature. The leaves, young shoots, stems, and sometimes also the flowers and roots are consumed raw in salads or cooked in soups and stews. The stems are best picked before the plants flower, and younger leaves are preferable to older foliage. Blanching makes the strong, pungent, sometimes unpleasant taste milder. As a vegetable, Scotch lovage competes directly with the similar celery and lovage. Historically, celery has been credited with making Scotch lovage obsolete, and it is unlikely that Scotch lovage will now compete well with celery.
