Seedman's Licorice Seeds

Licorice Seeds

Licorice is a wonderful plant that has many uses.
It is in flower from Jun to July. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects.
A good plant to grow around the perimeter of the garden as it can fix nitrogen into the soil and it attracts bees.

Uses: Root can be chewed raw or used as a flavouring. The source of liquorice powder that is extracted and used in sweets, baked goods, ice cream, soft drinks etc, it is also used medicinally.
It has a sweet and delicious flavor, but the root is very fibrous. The root contains glycyrrhizin, a substance that is 50 times sweeter than sucrose.
The dried root is often used for chewing, it is excellent for teething children and also as a tooth cleaner.
A tea made from the roots is an excellent thirst quencher.
The powdered root is also used as a sweetener in other herb teas. The leaves are used as a tea substitute in Mongolia.

Useful gardening information

Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.

Links to useful information on the web:

SF099 Licorice ( Glycyrrhiza glabra )

A tender perennial, hardy for zones 7-10, zone 6 if mulched heavily. The source of most commercial licorice used in the making of candy, liquor, and as a sweetner for herb tea. Root is up to 24% glycyrrhizin, which is 50 times sweeter than sugar. Harvest roots in the third or fourth year.
Extracts flavour tobacco, beer, soft drinks and pharmaceutical products. Powerful anti-inflammatory properties effective for arthritis, gastritis, canker sores. Also a mild laxative. 3 year old roots are harvested in the autumn.
Used for flavoring and medicine.
Medicinal: For throat, stomach, urinary, and intestinal irritations. Energy and hormonal balancing.

3704 American Licorice ( Glycyrrhiza lepidota )

The root has a distinct licorice flavor, but commercial licorice is obtained from another, this plant is usually grown for it's useful benefits.
Use Wildlife: Deer and pronghorn eat the foliage. Upland game birds and small mammals eat the seeds. Pocket gophers eat the rhizomes.
Use Medicinal: Tea of peeled dried roots or leaves used for diarrhea and upset stomach. Root chewed and held in mouth for toothache. Tea made of roots used for coughs, chest pain and sore throat. Root boiled in water to make tea drunk to speed delivery of placenta. Leaves steeped in water used for earache.
Attracts butterflies, it is a larval host for Silver-spotted Skipper.
Zones 4-8.

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