Glycyrrhiza echinata aka German Liquorice

Glycyrrhiza echinata is a perennial known as wild liquorice. It belongs to the pea family, Fabaceae. Its native range includes southern Europe and parts of temperate Asia. Records extend through Turkey, the Caucasus, northern Iran and Kazakhstan. They also reach southwestern Siberia. It is not native to Britain or Ireland. In the wild, it grows in muddy ground beside rivers.

Plants reach about 3.3 feet (1 metre) tall. They form deep roots that can make established plants hard to remove. The species flowers from June to July. Each flower has both male and female organs. Insects carry pollen between the flowers. Bacteria linked with its roots help the plant fix nitrogen. Gardeners grow it in cultivated beds, including plantings for useful roots.

Choose deep, fertile soil that holds moisture for good root crops. Sandy ground suits it when water is plentiful. It also grows in loam. The plant accepts mildly acid, neutral and mildly alkaline soil. Slightly alkaline conditions give the best growth, according to Plants For A Future. It can grow in full sun or partial shade. The same source lists USDA zones 7–10. It reports cold tolerance of about 14–23°F (−10 to −5°C). Colder parts of Britain may prove unsuitable for outdoor growth.

The root is edible raw or cooked, but its texture is fibrous. Boiling draws out sugars used in sweets and sweeteners. The root also makes tea. It contains glycyrrhizin, reported as about fifty times sweeter than sugar. Dried roots have also served as chewing sticks and tooth cleaners. Southern European growers raise the plant for medicinal roots. Traditional uses include remedies intended to loosen mucus and act as tonics. These uses do not establish that treatments work. Plants For A Future lists no known hazards for this species.

Growers may remove flowers to direct growth toward the roots. Seeds can take time to produce plants. Soak them in warm water for one day before sowing. Sow in spring or autumn under glass. Keep young plants under glass through their first winter. Plant them out during active growth in late spring or early summer. Root division offers another way to raise plants. Divide in spring or autumn, keeping a growth bud on each piece.