Porter’s Licorice-Root: A High-Altitude Native with Specialized Needs
If you’re dreaming of recreating a slice of Rocky Mountain wilderness in your garden, Porter’s licorice-root (Ligusticum porteri var. porteri) might catch your eye. This delicate native perennial brings the ethereal beauty of alpine meadows to mind, but before you start planning where to plant it, there are some important things you should know about this specialized mountain dweller.
What Makes Porter’s Licorice-Root Special
Porter’s licorice-root is a charming herbaceous perennial that belongs to the carrot family. True to its family heritage, it produces clusters of tiny white flowers arranged in umbrella-like formations called umbels. The real star of the show, however, might be its finely divided, fern-like foliage that releases a pleasant, aromatic fragrance when brushed against or crushed.
As a native forb, this plant lacks woody tissue and dies back to the ground each winter, emerging fresh each spring from its perennating buds tucked safely below the soil surface.
Where Porter’s Licorice-Root Calls Home
This mountain specialist is native to the western United States, naturally occurring across seven states: Arizona, Colorado, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. You’ll find it thriving in high-elevation environments, typically between 7,000 and 12,000 feet, where it graces subalpine and alpine meadows with its delicate presence.
A Word of Caution: Rarity Considerations
Before you get too excited about adding this beauty to your garden, it’s important to know that Porter’s licorice-root has a conservation status that suggests it may be uncommon in parts of its range. If you’re determined to grow this plant, please ensure you source it only from reputable native plant nurseries that propagate their stock responsibly rather than collecting from wild populations.
The Reality Check: Is This Plant Right for Your Garden?
Here’s where we need to have an honest conversation. Porter’s licorice-root is what you might call a diva of the plant world – and not without good reason. This alpine specialist has evolved over thousands of years to thrive in very specific, high-altitude conditions that are nearly impossible to replicate in most home gardens.
Why It’s Challenging to Grow
- Requires the cool temperatures and intense UV exposure of high mountain environments
- Needs well-draining, often rocky soils similar to its native alpine habitat
- Adapted to short growing seasons with long, cold winters
- Seeds require cold stratification and specialized germination conditions
- Struggles in warm, humid, or low-elevation environments
If You’re Up for the Challenge
For gardeners living at high elevations (Zone 3-7) who want to attempt growing Porter’s licorice-root, here are some tips that might help:
Growing Conditions
- Provide excellent drainage – think rock garden or raised alpine bed
- Ensure cool root temperatures, even in summer
- Offer protection from intense afternoon sun at lower elevations
- Maintain consistent moisture during the growing season without waterlogging
Planting Tips
- Start with responsibly sourced plants rather than attempting seed propagation
- Plant in spring after the last hard frost
- Choose the coolest, most well-draining spot in your garden
- Consider container growing in specialized alpine soil mixes
Garden Design and Companion Planting
If you do succeed in growing Porter’s licorice-root, it’s perfect for:
- Rock gardens with other high-altitude natives
- Alpine plant collections
- Native plant gardens focused on mountain species
- Naturalized high-elevation landscapes
The delicate umbel flowers attract native pollinators, including small bees and beneficial flies, making it a valuable addition to pollinator gardens in appropriate climates.
The Bottom Line
Porter’s licorice-root is undeniably beautiful and ecologically valuable in its native range, but it’s honestly not a plant for most home gardeners. Unless you live at high elevation and have experience with alpine plants, you’ll likely find more success (and cause less frustration) by choosing other native wildflowers that are better adapted to typical garden conditions.
If you’re passionate about supporting native plants and pollinators, consider exploring other mountain natives that might be more accommodating to cultivation, or better yet, support conservation efforts that protect the high-altitude habitats where Porter’s licorice-root naturally thrives.
