Licorice

Glycyrrhiza glabra

Fabaceae

Sweet root that soothes mucosa and supports adrenals — and can raise blood pressure if overused.

Food flavor and herb. Deglycyrrhizinated (DGL) products exist for a reason.

Parts used: Root
Traditional notes: Raw dry cough · Sore throat · Gastric irritation (DGL) · Adrenal fatigue folklore (use carefully)
Grow · USDA 6b: Perennial, USDA 7–10 (deep taproot) Scarify seed or buy crowns. Needs 3 years for a decent root. In work: Apr · May · Sep · Oct
Harvest: Autumn of year three or four. Leave plenty to regrow.

Deep, sandy, frost-free soil and patience measured in years.
A pot will not make a serious root. Give it a dedicated bed.
Do not harvest before year three. Year four is kinder.

Safety

Hypertension Kidney disease Pregnancy Low potassium

Lore

Pharaohs were buried with it. The sweetness is glycyrrhizin, fifty times sugar, and the reason a daily pot can raise blood pressure and drop potassium. Dutch drop and Chinese gan cao are the same root in different kitchens.

The Herbarium — a teaching catalog, not a clinic. Traditional use is history, not a prescription. USDA 6b dates are a week either way, not a promise. Do not eat, drink, or harvest a plant you cannot name.