Medicinal Monday - American Licorice

When thinking of licorice most of us think of it as the main ingredient in candy and beverages, but this sweet root has a long Native American history because of its culinary uses and medicinal benefits that are still relevant today.

About American Licorice

Glycyrrhiza lepidota known as American Licorice is native to most of North America and can be found in Connecticut.  This perennial plant grows in woods, fields, and meadows throughout the United States. It can grow as tall as three feet high in rich moist or sandy soil and has long tough brown roots that are said to be sweet and similar in taste to a sweet potato. It is a close relative of peas and beans and is in the genus Fabaceae. American licorice reproduces by seed and underground stems called rhizomes.  The tapered leaves grow in groups of 11 to 19 leaflets and have a blunt tip. It has light green to white cylindrical cone-shaped flowers that grow in spiked clusters. The plant blooms in the spring and ripens in the fall into clusters of burs that contain pods of small bean-like seeds.

Medicinal Uses & Culinary Uses

American Licorice was widely used by the Native Americans throughout the country. The Bannock boiled the root and made a tonic that was taken for a sore throat and to improve singing. The Blackfoot made a tea from the root to relieve coughs, chest pain, stomachaches, and sore throat. The Cheyenne made an infusion of the roots and leaves to treat diarrhea and chewed the roots to cool the body in a Sweatlodge or during the Sundance Ceremonies. 

The Pawnee, Sioux, and Lakota used the root of the plant as a medicine for the flu and steeped licorice leaves in boiling water to make a topical medicine for an earache. They also placed the root in their mouths as a treatment for toothaches. The Keresan used an infusion of the entire plant to treat chills. Several Native American communities used an infusion of the roots to treat fever in children.

Wild licorice leaf poultices were an excellent remedy for sores on people and on horses. The Isleta used the leaves to absorb moisture in shoes. Young shoots of this plant also had a use, they were nibbled on to keep the mouth sweet and moist; the Zuni, for example, chewed the roots to keep their mouth refreshed.  Even burrs of this plant were used and were sucked on by Buffalo runners of the Blackfoot to keep from getting thirsty.  The Cheyenne, Montana, and Northwestern Tribes, among many others, ate the tender spring shoots raw.  Many Native American communities roasted the roots and ate them like sweet potatoes.

Did You Know...

This plant contains a substance called Glycyrrhizin that is 50 times sweeter than sugar, with the highest concentration found in the roots.

Other common names for this plant are Wild Licorice, American wild licorice, and Dessert root.

Commercial licorice comes from this variety Glycyrrhiza lepidota.

American licorice root extract is used to sweeten cough drops, syrups, laxatives, and nicotine lozenges 

The root is also added to some foods to sweeten them. Licorice extracts may be added to candy, cakes, ice cream, and packaged desserts. Today, licorice extract may be synthetic or an anise flavoring may be used instead.

Theophrastus, an ancient Greek physician, and botanist used licorice to relieve coughs and asthma. Its medicinal benefits are documented in  The Code of Hammurabi, a 6th century Babylonian King, and the ancient Egyptians created a tonic made from the roots and packed it in funeral jars to bring with them to the afterlife.

Medical studies have found that consumption of licorice root extract may help to lower cholesterol and act as an antioxidant. Another study found that topical application of licorice extract may be effective in treating dermatitis. 

It takes five to six years for the roots to be ready to harvest which is why farming is generally not profitable. It is important to protect the wild collection areas of this plant.

Deer and pronghorn antelope eat the foliage and birds eat the seeds.