The leaves are alternate, each with 7 - 21 oblong leaflets.
Fruit consists of oblong brown pods that are covered with long hooked prickles.
It has been used for thousands of years in China as a treatment for stomachache, insomnia, food poisoning, sores, herpes and abscesses. Today's uses include arthritis and ulcer treatment, as an anti-inflammatory and an effective treatment for cold sores and hives. Wild licorice has had a much narrower range of uses, e.g. as a flavouring for root beer and chewing tobacco, but it is possible that its market share could be increased with the proper promotion. Area of Adaptation Wild licorice is very common in low spots, along sloughs, riverbanks, lake shores and roadsides. Its distribution extends from SE British Columbia across the prairies to western Ontario and southward into Mexico.