Latin (botanical) name: Glycyrrhiza glabra

Common names: Reglisse, Lacrisse, Sweet Licorice, Licorice Root, Sweet Wood, Sweet Root

Plant Description: Found throughout North Dakota, wild Licorice grows from Minnesota west to Alberta and Washington and south to Texas and California at elevations up to 8,500 ft. A tall, erect perennial plant, it has light, gracefully-spreading pinnate foliage and dark green lanceolate leaflets that hang down at night. Each leaf bears 7-21 leaflets up to 1-1/2" long that have small scales when young. The scales soon change into sticky, resinous dots. The leaves of the Licorice plant are pinnate and grow up to 8" long. Licorice blooms from June to August, with long-stemmed spikes of numerous bluish-purple to white papillonaceous flowers grouped into spikes about 2-3 inches long. These are followed by small leguminous, smooth-skinned seeds enclosed in dark brown pods with cocklebur-type prickles. The long, tough taproots of the Licorice plant are brown, and cylindrical. These plants are hairless. They may grow 3 feet tall in southern states, but plants in North Dakota are usually half that.

Use: Make a tea by pouring approximately 2 cups of boiling water over 2 heaped tsp of herb. Let steep for 3-5 minutes. In general, sip a cup before breakfast, and another 2 hours after dinner.

Cautions & Interactions: Do not take during pregnancy or while nursing. Keep out of reach of children.