American licorice (Plants of the Middle Rio Grande Bosque)

American licorice

Glycyrrhiza lepidota

Summary ⁷

Glycyrrhiza lepidota, commonly known as American licorice, is a species of Glycyrrhiza. It is common throughout much of the United States except for the southeastern states and grows in moist soil.

Botanical Information ⁸

Wild licorice is a flowering shrub that grows from 1.5 to 3.5 feet tall. Its stems are smooth, erect and branched, green when young turning dark red in the fall. Wild licorice leaves are compound and attached to the stem in an alternating pattern. Each leaf is made up of 13-19 individual leaflets. Its flowers are on short stalks and crowded on the terminal spikes. Wild licorice flowers are yellowish-white and bloom from June to August. It produces fruit called legumes that are oval-shaped with hooked prickles.

Ecological Information ⁷

American licorice is found in sites that range from moist to moderately dry, usually in rich soil. It is found in much of temperate America. It is commonly found in areas that are disturbed, woods, draws, and depressions. It often forms extensive colonies in shady areas with sandy soil. Like many other members of the Fabaceae family, it forms symbiotic relationships with soil bacteria that help to fix nitrogen in the soil. American licorice provides food for various wildlife. The foliage is eaten by deer and pronghorn antelope, the seeds by birds and small rodents, and the roots by pocket gophers.

Ethnobotanical Information ⁷

American licorice root is considered medicinal as a demulcent expectorant, tonic for chronic inflammation and autoimmunity as well as an antiviral. It has therefore been used to treat coughs, diarrhea, chest pains, fevers, and stomach aches. Some people would chew the root to help soothe sore throats and toothache. Similar to its close relative, Glycyrrhiza glabra, American licorice contains a substance in its roots called glycyrrhizin. Those with high blood pressure should be careful because it can increase blood pressure due to the inhibition of an enzyme that causes cortisol to act like aldosterone. American licorice contains less glycyrrhizin and is, therefore, potentially safer for long-term consumption.

References ⁹

plants.usda.gov/factsheet/pdf/fs_glle3.pdf
gobotany.newenglandwild.org/species/glycyrrhiza/lepidota/
pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Glycyrrhiza+lepidota

About the Author ¹⁰

Student author(s)*: Caroline (age 13) from homeschool group

*The entries in this field guide have been edited by Yerba Mansa Project staff to ensure that they contain quality, fact-checked content and standardized formatting. https://yerbamansaproject.org/

Sources and Credits

(c) Tab Tannery, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/tabtannery/7869862146/
(c) Gertjan van Noord, some rights reserved (CC BY-ND), https://www.flickr.com/photos/gertjanvannoord/48383882271/
(c) Matt Lavin, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/plant_diversity/5021118488/
(c) Matt Lavin, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/plant_diversity/5258323911/
(c) Andrey Zharkikh, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://www.flickr.com/photos/zharkikh/6660347005/
Adapted by albuquerqueherbalism from a work by (c) smiller33, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
Adapted by albuquerqueherbalism from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycyrrhiza_lepidota
(c) caseynm, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
Adapted by albuquerqueherbalism from a work by (c) caseynm, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

Range Map

iNat Map

Type	forb
Uses	medicinal
Color	white, yellow

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