Fundamental Facts
HARDINESS: Tender
PREFERRED SOIL pH: Neutral to slightly alkaline
PREFERRED SOIL TYPE: Well-drained, fertile
PREFERRED LIGHT: Sun to partial shade
ATTRIBUTES: Felted leaves in silver or green; dense spreading habit; for pots, baskets, window boxes, bedding
SEASON OF INTEREST: Early summer to fall; all year in frost-free regions
FAVORITES: Helichrysum petiolare for silver leaves; 'Limelight' for chartreuse foliage
QUIRKS: Keep soil moist to prevent wilting
GOOD NEIGHBORS: Brachychome, browallia, larkspur, torenia
WHERE IT GROWS BEST: Partial shade; moist, organic soil
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS: Humid air can induce rot
CRITTER RESISTANCE: Good
SOURCE: Bedding plants; difficult but possible to root from cuttings
DIMENSIONS: 10 in (25.4 cm) tall, 2-3 ft (0.6-1 m) wide
Licorice Plant in the Landscape
Licorice plant produces furry stems to 2 ft (0.6 m) long, sometimes longer. Because of their subdued leaf colors and spreading habit, care-free licorice plants fill many job descriptions. They're ideal for edging flower beds, and as additions to window boxes, containers, and hanging baskets. When grown with other plants, they interweave nicely, and they look stunning beside blue-flowered plants, such as brachychome or browallia.
Why this plant was nicknamed the licorice plant is a mystery, because it neither smells nor looks like licorice. Fancy foliage is the main attraction, as it rarely flowers. But who needs flowers when the plant has soft, felt-textured leaves that beg to be touched? In the species, the green leaves bear a silver sheen that reflects light, making them glow. 'Limelight' is a chartreuse version, with pale green fuzzy leaves.
Growing Licorice Plant
Licorice plants grow best when shaded from the noonday sun. For best results, water the plants regularly, especially when their roots are confined in a container. If plants go into a serious wilt, the leaves often brown and shrivel. But even if a plant appears to have perished, don't give it up entirely; it will make new growth again if you continue to care for it. Water as needed to keep the soil moist, and take a few minutes now and then to pick off brown leaves. They do not fall away on their own.
Eager eaters, licorice plants should be fertilized every 2 to 3 weeks with a balanced fertilizer. And because they don't like cramped containers, repot when the roots fill the pot, graduating the plant to a container that is no more than two sizes larger than the pot it had previously occupied.
Thanks to its thick leaves, which insects find difficult to chew, licorice plant is not prone to pest problems. If it is neglected, aphids or mealybugs could settle in, but those problems are rare.To prevent them, keep plants stress free by watering regularly.
Increasing the Bounty
It isn't easy to propagate the licorice plant, but, if you want to try, take 3 in (7.6 cm) long stem cuttings in spring. To encourage root initiation, remove the lowest set of leaves from the stem and carefully scrape the fuzzy coating from the lower inch of the stem. Insert the lower inch of the cutting into light, fluffy soil, and keep it barely moist while it is rooting. Do not enclose cuttings in a plastic bag, which can lead to rot. After the cuttings root in 6 to 8 weeks, they can be planted in containers.
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