Liquorice
Glycyrrhiza glabra L.
Botanical family: Fabaceae
A Mediterranean perennial legume whose root provides liquorice, intensely sweet (glycyrrhizin), long used for the throat and digestion.
Full sun
Deep, rich, cool and well-drained
Regular: deep, fertile, moist soil
Hardy (approx. -15 °C)
Overwinters in your zone
Role in permaculture
A perennial legume with a sweet root (liquorice), nitrogen-fixing. Its running roots are vigorous (to be contained). A much-used medicinal and aromatic.
Companions
No companion planting is documented for this plant: no recommended neighbour, no neighbour to avoid.
Insects attracted or useful
Seasons & availability
Root lifted in autumn, from plants 3-4 years old; dried, it is available all year round.
Available: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December.
Guidance for the oceanic / temperate climate; it may vary with your region, altitude, exposure and growing method.
Sources
- Plants For A Future, « Glycyrrhiza glabra » (pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Glycyrrhiza+glabra)
- Au Jardin.info, « Réglisse » (aujardin.info/plantes/glycyrrhiza-glabra.php)
Nutritional & medicinal properties
For educational purposes. Not a substitute for medical advice. Effects depend on the form, the dose and personal context.
Precautions & contraindications
Can raise blood pressure and cause water retention with a drop in blood potassium (hypokalaemia, which can promote heart-rhythm disorders): not advised in case of hypertension, kidney or heart disease, and pregnancy; no prolonged use beyond 4 to 6 weeks without medical advice.
In the kitchen & the apothecary
Where to find liquorice in preparations: recipes and traditional herbal teas.
Family behaviour: Legumes
In general, Legumes fix nitrogen from the air in most cases, thanks to the Rhizobium in their root nodules. They mainly enrich the soil for the following crops, as their residues decompose. Ideal in a rotation, before nitrogen-hungry plants such as nightshades.
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Species & varieties
The best-known species and varieties in France.
Species
Voices of peoples
Paraphrases attributed to their documented sources. Never an invented quote.
Scythians (nomads of the Pontic steppes), reported by Theophrastus · Steppes north of the Black Sea, around Lake Maeotis (present-day Sea of Azov); testimony reported around 300 BC
In his Enquiry into Plants, Theophrastus describes a 'Scythian root' of sweet taste which, kept in the mouth, staves off thirst. According to his testimony, the Scythians could hold out eleven to twelve days without drinking thanks to it and to a cheese of mare's milk. It's one of the oldest written mentions of liquorice associated with a named people. The 'eleven to twelve days' duration belongs to the Greek observer's account, not to a measurement: it is attested as testimony, and not as a verified fact.
Théophraste, Historia Plantarum (Recherches sur les plantes), livre IX, vers 300 av. J.-C. ; AHPA, « Herbs in History: Licorice ».
It's a survival use reported by an outside Greek observer, not a saying of the Scythians themselves: nothing here essentialises them or turns this detail into fixed wisdom. An ancient fact attested as testimony; no modern health claim can be drawn from it.
Key takeaways
- • Prefers full sun exposure.
- • Ideal soil: deep, rich, cool and well-drained.