Wild Liquorice, Chinese licorice
Glycyrrhiza echinata
Family: Fabaceae or Leguminosae
What it is like
Glycyrrhiza echinata is a PERENNIAL growing to 1 m (3ft 3in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 8. It is in flower from June to July. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. It can fix Nitrogen. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 1
Where it is found
Muddy places by rivers.
S. Europe.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 4
Root - raw or cooked. Very fibrous, it is often boiled to extract the sugars and is a source of Russian and German liquorice. It is used as a confection, a sweetener and medicinally. A delicious sweet flavour. The dried root is often used for chewing, it is especially useful for teething children and as a tooth cleaner. The root contains glycyrrhizin, a substance that is 50 times sweeter than sugar. A tea made from the roots is an excellent thirst quencher.
Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
Sweetener: includes sugar substitutes.
Tea: the various herb teas that can be used in place of tea, plus the genuine article.
Medicine
Rating: 3
The root is alterative, expectorant and tonic. It is usually mixed with other herbs, partly at least to improve their taste.
Alterative: Causes a gradual beneficial change in the body, usually through improved nutrition and elimination, without having any marked specific action.
Expectorant: Clears phlegm from the chest by inducing coughing.
Tonic: Improves general health. Slower acting than a stimulant, it brings steady improvement.
Other
Rating: 3
Nitrogen fixer. Dynamic accumulator.
Dynamic accumulator: Plants that gather minerals or nutrients from the soil and store them in a more bioavailable form and in high concentration in their tissues. Used as fertilizer or to improve mulch.
Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.
Nitrogen Fixer: Plants that fix nitrogen in the soil
How it is grown
Requires a deep well cultivated fertile moisture-retentive soil for good root production. Prefers a sandy soil with abundant moisture. A slightly alkaline soil produces the best plants. This species is not hardy in the colder areas of the country, it tolerates temperatures down to between -5 and -10°c. Cultivated for its medicinal root in S. Europe. Unless seed is required, the plant is usually prevented from flowering so that it puts more energy into producing good quality roots. A very deep-rooted plant, it can be difficult to eradicate once it is established. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby.
Propagating it: Pre-soak the seed for 24 hours in warm water and then sow spring or autumn in a greenhouse. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle, and grow them on for their first winter in a greenhouse. Plant out in late spring or early summer when in active growth. Plants are rather slow to grow from seed. Division of the root in spring or autumn. Each division must have at least one growth bud. Autumn divisions can either be replanted immediately or stored in clamps until the spring and then be planted out. It is best to pt up the smaller divisions and grow them on in a cold frame until they are established before planting them out in the spring or summer.
Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: 7-10
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist