Glycyrrhiza glabra

Common name(s): true licorice, Spanish licorice

Description: perennial; an herb used in medicine since at least 2100 BCE as well as for candies and herbal teas. Summer flowers become decorative seed pods and can be removed in late summer to prevent unwanted self-sowing in the garden. Roots can usually be harvested and dried after then second year or third year of growth. Low-maintenance and easy to grow.

Height: to 5 ft. Spread: to 4 ft.

Position: full sun and well-draining soil

Uses: medicine, culinary- herbal tea, to attract pollinators

Winter Hardiness: to 0 F and below

Drought: adapted to 4 months of summer drought

Distribution: SE Europe, Arabian Peninsula, West and Central Asia