Found throughout North Dakota, wild licorice occurs from Minnesota west to Alberta and Washington and south to Texas and California at elevations up to 8,500 ft. Wild licorice is perennial from long, tough taproots and interconnected rootcrowns.
Plants are hairless.
They may grow three feet tall in southern states, but North Dakota plants usually are about 18 inches tall. The scales soon change into sticky, resinous dots. Look for wild licorice during May to August in rich soil areas in native prairie near wetlands or coulee bottoms. Grazing seems to have little effect on the density of this plant. Wild licorice was sometimes grown by Amerindians, who ate the sweet, slightly licorice-flavored roots.