Beach Lovage

PitRuus’kaaq
Ligusticum scoticum L. subsp. hulténii (Fernald) Calder & R. L. Taylor

Beach lovage has small, pinkish to white flowers that form clusters at the top of roundish, toothed leaflets that occur in threes and remind some people of parsley. The herb’s fleshy stem, which may reach two feet, often has a reddish base. Beach lovage grows along the Kodiak’s seashores.

Gathering: People pick beach lovage soon after it appears in May and harvest it throughout the summer, until the leaves yellow and begin to decay. When it flowers, in late June and July, people typically pick just the nonflowering stems. This plant is air-dried by hanging bunches upside down.

Food: Beach lovage is a popular wild food. People add the fresh and dried leaves and stems to a variety of fish dishes—boiled fish, soups, and fish patties. Some people wrap beach lovage around a whole fish before baking. Others cook the herb as a vegetable or add it raw to salads.