Growing Wild Licorice: A Sweet Addition to Your Native Garden
If you’ve ever wondered about that sweet-smelling plant with delicate purple flowers dotting prairie landscapes, you might be looking at wild licorice (Glycyrrhiza). This unassuming perennial herb packs more personality than you’d expect from its modest appearance, and it might just be the perfect addition to your naturalized garden space.
What Exactly Is Wild Licorice?
Wild licorice is a perennial forb – basically a non-woody flowering plant that comes back year after year. Don’t let the herb classification fool you into thinking it’s tiny; this plant can spread quite enthusiastically once it gets comfortable in your garden. It’s part of the legume family, which means it has the handy ability to fix nitrogen in the soil, essentially fertilizing itself and its neighbors.
The plant produces compound leaves made up of several oval leaflets and sends up spikes of small purple or white flowers that have a subtle sweet fragrance. But here’s where it gets interesting – wild licorice spreads through underground rhizomes, creating colonies that can cover substantial ground over time.
Where Does Wild Licorice Call Home?
This plant has quite the travel resume. Wild licorice is native to Canada, where it thrives in provinces including Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, and Saskatchewan. In the United States, its native status is less clear-cut, though it’s found growing across an impressive range of states from coast to coast, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, and many others throughout the Midwest and Northeast.
Why Consider Wild Licorice for Your Garden?
There are several compelling reasons to give wild licorice a spot in your landscape:
- Pollinator magnet: Those small flowers are bee magnets, attracting various pollinators to your garden
- Low maintenance: Once established, it’s remarkably drought tolerant and requires minimal care
- Soil improvement: As a legume, it actually improves soil fertility
- Natural ground cover: Its spreading habit makes it excellent for covering large areas
- Prairie authenticity: Perfect for native plant gardens and prairie restorations
But Wait – There’s a Catch
Before you get too excited, know that wild licorice can be an enthusiastic spreader. That rhizome system that helps it survive tough conditions also means it can take over more space than you initially planned. If you’re looking for a well-behaved border plant that stays exactly where you put it, this isn’t your plant. However, if you have a large naturalized area or prairie garden where it can roam freely, it’s fantastic.
Growing Wild Licorice Successfully
The good news is that wild licorice is generally hardy in USDA zones 3-8, making it suitable for most temperate climates. Here’s what you need to know to grow it successfully:
Light and Location
Wild licorice performs best in full sun but will tolerate partial shade. Choose a location where it has room to spread, or be prepared to manage its expansion. It’s ideal for:
- Prairie gardens and wildflower meadows
- Naturalized areas and wildlife habitats
- Large perennial borders with room to roam
- Erosion control on slopes
Soil Preferences
This adaptable plant isn’t particularly fussy about soil type. It will grow in everything from sandy to clay soils, though it prefers well-draining conditions. The soil doesn’t need to be rich – remember, this plant makes its own fertilizer through nitrogen fixation.
Planting and Care Tips
Getting wild licorice established is straightforward:
- Timing: Plant in spring or fall when temperatures are moderate
- Spacing: Give plants 2-3 feet apart initially – they’ll fill in the gaps
- Watering: Water regularly the first year, then reduce as the plant becomes drought tolerant
- Maintenance: Cut back in late fall or early spring; deadhead flowers to prevent excessive self-seeding if desired
Managing the Spread
If you want to keep wild licorice contained, you’ll need to be proactive:
- Install root barriers around planting areas
- Regularly dig up and divide rhizomes that venture beyond desired boundaries
- Consider planting in large containers or raised beds
- Choose companion plants that can compete, like native grasses
The Bottom Line
Wild licorice is one of those plants that’s perfect for the right situation. If you have space for a spreading perennial that attracts pollinators, improves soil, and adds authentic prairie character to your landscape, it’s an excellent choice. Just make sure you’re prepared for its enthusiastic nature, and you’ll have a reliable, beneficial addition to your native garden that will thrive for years to come.
Remember, successful native gardening is about matching the right plant to the right place – and wild licorice rewards gardeners who give it room to be its naturally robust self.
