Ligusticum apiifolium
Celery leaved lovage
(c) Ed Alverson, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Apiaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Ligusticum apiifolium (Celery leaved lovage) is a native California herb in the Apiaceae family.
Celery leaved lovage is a California native perennial found in northwestern California, excluding the northern Coast Ranges Interior, and the Central Coast in coastal meadows, scrub, and woodland at elevations below 1,850 meters. Flowering from June to July, this plant produces white flowers in compound umbels with 12 to 23 unequal rays. Growing 30 to 150 centimeters tall with erect stems, it develops a robust herbaceous form with multiple stems. Its large ternate-pinnate leaves are triangular-ovate, featuring deeply lobed leaflets 1.5 to 4.5 centimeters long with minutely scabrous margins. The fruit is a small 3 to 5 millimeter oblong structure with thread-like ribs and distinctive oil tubes between each rib interval.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 2 sympatric species; key differentiator is scabrous leaf margins and puberulent inflorescence vs glabrous condition in others
Habitat and range
Habitat: Coastal meadows, scrub or woodland
Elevation: < 1850 m
California counties: Mendocino, San Mateo, Del Norte, Sonoma, Shasta, Marin, San Francisco, Humboldt, Plumas, Siskiyou, Trinity, Tehama, Napa, Alameda, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, Sierra, Nevada, Lake
Outside California: to Washington
Bloom period
Ligusticum apiifolium blooms Jun-Jul.
How to tell it apart
vs Perideridia: Ligusticum has fibrous-wrapped stem bases; Perideridia has smooth bases with tuberous roots.; vs Conium: Ligusticum has fibrous stem bases in mountains; Conium has purple-spotted stems in disturbed lowlands.; vs Oenanthe: Ligusticum has fibrous stem bases; Oenanthe has thickened root crowns in wetlands.; vs Angelica: Ligusticum stem bases wrapped in fibrous remains; Angelica bases smooth and clean.; vs Lomatium: Ligusticum has white flowers and fibrous stem bases; Lomatium often yellow-flowered without fibrous bases.
Frequently asked questions
Is Ligusticum apiifolium native to California?
Yes. Ligusticum apiifolium is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Ligusticum apiifolium bloom?
Ligusticum apiifolium blooms Jun-Jul.
Where in California does Ligusticum apiifolium grow?
Ligusticum apiifolium occurs in Mendocino, San Mateo, Del Norte, Sonoma, Shasta, Marin, San Francisco, Humboldt and other counties, at elevations of < 1850 m.
What plant family does Ligusticum apiifolium belong to?
Ligusticum apiifolium is in the Apiaceae family, genus Ligusticum.
What habitat does Ligusticum apiifolium grow in?
Ligusticum apiifolium grows in Coastal meadows, scrub or woodland.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.