Characteristics
| Hardiness zone | 9b |
|---|---|
| Foliage type | evergreen |
| Plant form | spreading |
| Mature height | 18 inches |
| Spread | 3 feet |
| Light requirements | full sun to partial shade |
| Moisture requirements | average to moist |
| Plant origin | import |
Licorice Plant
Botanical name: Helichrysum petiolare
Heat and drought tolerant, excellent for hot and sunny borders, beds, hanging baskets and containers; produces trailing stems of velvety silver foliage with a slight licorice fragrance; easy to grow and low maintenance.
Ornamental Features
Licorice Plant has attractive grayish green foliage with hints of silver. The small fuzzy round leaves are highly ornamental and remain grayish green throughout the winter. Neither the flowers nor the fruit are ornamentally significant.
Landscape Attributes
Licorice Plant is a multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a ground-hugging habit of growth. It lends an extremely fine and delicate texture to the landscape composition which should be used to full effect.
This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and can be pruned at anytime. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Licorice Plant is recommended for the following landscape applications;
Border Edging, General Garden Use, Groundcover, Container Planting, Hanging Baskets
Planting and Growing
Licorice Plant will grow to be about 18 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 3 feet. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 30 inches apart. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years.
This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This species is not originally from North America. It can be propagated by cuttings.
Licorice Plant makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor containers and hanging baskets. Because of its spreading habit of growth, it is ideally suited for use as a 'spiller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the edges where it can spill gracefully over the pot. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.
