{"product_id":"alexanders-organic-seeds","title":"Alexanders \"Black Lovage\" (Smyrnium olusatrum) Organic Seeds – Ancient Roman Pot Herb, Mild Celery-Parsley Flavor, Peppery Edible Black Seeds","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMinimum:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003e10+ Seeds\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 dir=\"ltr\"\u003eAlexanders \"Black Lovage\" — The Herb Rome Ate Before Celery\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eBefore celery was bred into pale, crisp stalks, Roman cooks used this. Alexanders filled kitchen gardens from antiquity through the 1600s, valued for stems tasting like celery crossed with parsley and black seeds that hit like warmer, citrusy pepper. Legionaries likely carried it along supply routes, which is why it still grows wild on cliffs from Cornwall to the Aegean. Sweeter, easier celery arrived and Alexanders faded from most gardens, though it never should have. This seed comes from small growers who still bother with a slow, cold-loving biennial carrying two thousand years of memory.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWho Grows Alexanders?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe forager wanting a cultivated source, not stripped wild patches.\u003cbr\u003eThe historical cook recreating Apicius-era Roman recipes.\u003cbr\u003eThe permaculture gardener needing an early-spring green.\u003cbr\u003eThe bartender infusing bitters with a citrus-myrrh note.\u003cbr\u003eThe seed saver preserving pre-Columbian European crops.\u003cbr\u003eThe pollinator gardener wanting early food for bees.\u003cbr\u003eThe gardener with a shaded coastal bed that needs something to thrive.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat This Ancient Pot Herb Actually Is\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eSmyrnium olusatrum\u003c\/em\u003e, also called black lovage, horse parsley, and Alisanders, is a biennial umbellifer native to the Mediterranean, named for Alexandria, from which Roman traders likely spread it north. It naturalized across coastal Britain, Ireland, and Western Europe, often near old monastery grounds. Year one brings a rosette of glossy, three-lobed dark leaves; year two a hollow flowering stalk 3 to 5 feet tall topped with umbels that ripen into black seeds. Every part is edible: stems taste like resinous, bitter celery, leaves like parsley with a myrrh edge, and seeds carry a peppery, citrus-clove heat once used as pepper across medieval Europe. Not currently of conservation concern. Hardy in USDA zones 6 through 9.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIn the Kitchen \u0026amp; Apothecary\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRoman braised stems:\u003c\/strong\u003e Blanch second-year stalks and braise in olive oil and cumin, per the \u003cem\u003eApicius\u003c\/em\u003e cookbook.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBlack seed pepper substitute:\u003c\/strong\u003e Grind dried seeds fresh over root vegetables for a citrus-forward swap.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSpring rosette salad:\u003c\/strong\u003e Toss tender first-year leaves with lemon and hard cheese.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHerbal bitters:\u003c\/strong\u003e Steep crushed seeds in spirit with gentian root for a bitters base.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMedieval-style root:\u003c\/strong\u003e The taproot was traditionally boiled and eaten like parsnip.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePickled buds:\u003c\/strong\u003e Pickle unopened flower buds in vinegar, an old English method.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrowing Alexanders Seeds\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eStart method:\u003c\/strong\u003e Direct sow outdoors in fall or early winter.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGermination:\u003c\/strong\u003e Needs 4 to 6 weeks cold stratification, then 3 to 6 weeks to sprout.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSoil temperature:\u003c\/strong\u003e Best germination between 50 and 60°F.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSpacing:\u003c\/strong\u003e Thin seedlings to 12 to 18 inches apart.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSunlight:\u003c\/strong\u003e Full sun to part shade; tolerates more shade than most umbels.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSoil:\u003c\/strong\u003e Moist, fertile, well-drained; tolerates poor coastal soils.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWatering:\u003c\/strong\u003e Keep consistently moist through germination and year one.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLife cycle:\u003c\/strong\u003e True biennial, rosette in year one, flowers and seed in year two.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHarvest:\u003c\/strong\u003e Cut leaves and stems before flowering; collect seed once black and dry.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSelf-seeding:\u003c\/strong\u003e Readily self-seeds once established; deadhead if unwanted.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHardiness:\u003c\/strong\u003e Zones 6 through 9; tolerates coastal wind and salt spray.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePests:\u003c\/strong\u003e Largely trouble-free; good airflow prevents mildew.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBefore You Close This Page\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis is a two-thousand-year-old kitchen herb, not a novelty. Romans ate it before celery existed in its modern form. Stems taste like resinous celery, leaves like sharp parsley, seeds like citrusy pepper. It thrives in coastal shade where other umbellifers struggle and self-seeds once established. Every part is edible, taproot to seed. Cold stratification is required, so sow outdoors in fall. Zones 6 through 9, full sun to part shade, moist soil. Grow the herb that seasoned an empire before pepper and celery took its place.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"terramatergardens","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54227752911166,"sku":"11563","price":3.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/8836\/7166\/files\/candles-5718.png?v=1788320617","url":"https:\/\/www.terramatergardens.com\/products\/alexanders-organic-seeds","provider":"Terra Mater Gardens","version":"1.0","type":"link"}