Glycyrrhiza uralensis seed

LATIN NAME: Glycyrrhiza uralensis

COMMON NAME: Licorice

Licorice is the root with the sweet, dark, unmistakable taste. The fine, upright, perennial herb carries the feathery, compound leaves with the small, oval leaflets, and the small, pea-like, pale-blue and violet flowers open in the loose spikes through the summer, to be followed by the small, flattened seed pods. The thick, branching, sweet root under the soil is the licorice of the old sweets, the teas and the traditional practice, and it has a very long and careful record of use. It is a fine, easy, long-lived plant of the deep, rich, well-drained ground. It is a plant of the open, sunny spot.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

Licorice has carved a quiet but solid place in the plant science, and the herb has been studied for a very long time for the thick, sweet root and the dark, unmistakable taste. The chemistry of the root, which has a long record of use in the traditional practice of the East and the West, has been examined at length, and the plant keeps showing up in the work on the sweet principles and the medicinal roots. The feathery, compound leaves and the small, pea-like flowers have also made it a fine garden plant, and it is a regular subject of the studies of the legumes and the traditional remedies.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

Licorice does a lot of work in the old households and the wider world. The thick, branching, sweet root has a very long and careful record of use in the old sweets, the teas and the traditional practice of the East and the West, and it remains a fine, steady subject of the studies of the sweet principles. The fine, upright herb is also an easy, long-lived plant of the sunny garden, and the pale-blue and violet flowers add their own quiet charm. It has been written up in the botanical and the herbal papers for the sweet root and its long history, and it is a fine, easy plant of the deep, rich, well-drained garden.

Licorice is one of the old, sweet roots of the household, and the thick, branching root has been dug, dried and chewed for a very long time in the East and the West. The feathery, compound leaves and the small, pea-like, pale-blue and violet flowers give the upright herb a fine, light, elegant look through the summer.

To grow the licorice from seed, soak the small, hard seeds in warm water for a few hours, then sow them at a shallow depth in pots of moist, free-draining soil, covering them thinly, keep them in a bright, open spot and water gently. The seedlings come through within a few weeks and grow on steadily. With the sun and the deep, rich, well-drained ground, the sweet, branching root will build up over the seasons.

Fabaceae/Leguminosae: a perennial to 60cm with strong rhizomes. Found in meadows, riparian woodlands and solonetzic slopes. The flowers are racemes of purple, pea like flowers. Blooming from June-August. The leaves are divided into 9–17 leaflets. Native to East Asia – China, Japan, and Siberia.

USES:

The fibrous root is used as a sweetener for foods. It is boiled in water to extract the sugars and used as a liquorice substitute in sweets, medicines, and drinks. The root contains glycyrrhizin, which is 50 times sweeter than sugar.

Glycyrrhiza uralensis is commonly used in Chinese herbalism, where it is one of the 50 fundamental herbs. It is second in importance only to Ginseng (Panax spp.). The root is a sweet tonic herb that stimulates the corticosteroidal hormones, neutralizes toxins and balances blood sugar levels. It also contains antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiphlogistic, antispasmodic, antitussive, cholagogue, demulcent, emollient, expectorant and laxative properties. It is used internally in the treatment of Addison’s disease, asthma, coughs and peptic ulcers. Externally, it is used to treat acne, boils and sore throats.

GROWING INFORMATION:

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.

Requires a deep well cultivated fertile moisture-retentive soil for good root production. Plants prefer a sandy soil with abundant moisture. Slightly alkaline conditions produce the best plants. Plants are hardy to at least -15°C. This species is widely cultivated in China as a medicinal plant. Unless seed is required, the plant is usually prevented from flowering so that it puts more energy into producing good quality roots.