Mature size & growth rate

How big does Liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) get?

Also called Liquorice, Licorice, Sweet Root, Common Liquorice.

More about liquorice

About Liquorice

Glycyrrhiza glabra · also called Liquorice, Licorice · herb

Liquorice is a deep-rooted perennial legume native to the Mediterranean and southwestern Asia, cultivated for its thick, sweet taproot which contains glycyrrhizin — up to 50 times sweeter than sucrose. It requires a long, warm growing season, deep well-drained soil, and full sun. Roots are typically harvested after 3–4 years for culinary and medicinal use.

Mature size: 1–1.5 m tall, 60–100 cm spread (stolons can extend 1 m+ from plant)

Watch for — Invasive spreading via stolons: Liquorice spreads aggressively via underground stolons and can become weedy. Install root barriers 40–50 cm deep around the planting area, or grow in large, deep containers to contain spread. Remove unwanted shoots promptly before they establish.

Indoor size vs how big it gets in the wild

Liquorice grows on a tree's timeline and scale — indoors it becomes a tall, trunked statement plant rather than a tabletop one. Indoors and in a pot, expect 1–1.5 m tall, 60–100 cm spread (stolons can extend 1 m+ from plant). A pot, your light levels and a little pruning are what set the final size in a home, far more than the plant's theoretical potential.

It gains real height on a trunk or main stem, adding a tier of leaves a year and eventually reaching for the ceiling — this is a plant you grow up, not out.

Growth rate and years to mature

Liquorice is a moderate grower. Realistically, expect three to six years to reach mature indoor size, gaining a steady amount each growing season. Its feeding profile backs this up: apply a balanced granular fertiliser (10-10-10) in early spring as growth resumes. liquorice is a nitrogen-fixing legume, so supplemental nitrogen is minimal; focus on phosphorus and potassium to support root development. avoid high-nitrogen feeds which promote leafy growth at the expense of root yield.

Want this turned into the right next pot at the right moment? The pot size calculator and the liquorice repotting guide cover when and how much to size up — pot size is one of the biggest levers on how fast liquorice grows.

How to keep liquorice smaller

You are not stuck with the maximum size. For liquorice specifically, these are the levers, in order of impact:

The decisive tool is the secateurs: liquorice can be topped (cut the main growing tip) to cap its height and force a bushier, shorter shape.
Keeping it deliberately pot-bound in a snug container slows the whole plant and limits ultimate size.
Prune in spring so it heals fast; remove the tallest leader back to a node to reset the height.
Expect to top or hard-prune it every year or two — left alone it heads for the ceiling.

The keep-it-smaller method, step by step

Pick the new height. Decide how tall you want liquorice and find a leaf node or branch point just below that.
Top the main stem. Cut the main growing tip cleanly just above that node in spring; this permanently caps the height and forces side branches.
Keep the pot snug. Avoid jumping to a much bigger pot — a slightly restricted rootball keeps the whole plant smaller.
Maintain the shape. Prune back the tallest new leaders each spring to hold it at the height you chose.

How to grow liquorice bigger or faster

If you want it to fill the space sooner, push the conditions rather than hoping — for liquorice the accelerators are:

It already wants the bright light it needs; warmth, a yearly pot-up and spring-summer feed are the accelerators.
Pot up a size every year or two while young; restricted roots are the main thing holding height back.
Feed regularly through the growing season and keep it warm — height comes from sustained good conditions.

Light is almost always the ceiling. The liquorice light requirements page covers exactly how bright a spot it needs to grow at its potential instead of stalling.

When liquorice outgrows the room (or the pot)

"Too big" usually arrives as one of these signs for liquorice:

The top leaves pressing against or bent by the ceiling — the classic "this is now too tall indoors" sign.
It has to be moved away from a light source it has literally outgrown.
Roots filling the largest pot you can reasonably keep indoors — at that point it is top-or-prune or move it outside (if hardy).

If it is the pot rather than the room, it is a repotting job, not a goodbye — see the liquorice repotting guide. If you want more of this plant instead of a bigger one, the liquorice propagation guide turns prunings into new plants.

Liquorice size — frequently asked questions

How big does liquorice get?

Liquorice reaches 1–1.5 m tall, 60–100 cm spread (stolons can extend 1 m+ from plant) when grown indoors. It gains real height on a trunk or main stem, adding a tier of leaves a year and eventually reaching for the ceiling — this is a plant you grow up, not out.

Is liquorice slow or fast growing?

Liquorice is a moderate grower. Expect three to six years to reach mature indoor size, gaining a steady amount each growing season. Liquorice grows on a tree's timeline and scale — indoors it becomes a tall, trunked statement plant rather than a tabletop one.

How long does liquorice take to reach full size?

Roughly three to six years to reach mature indoor size, gaining a steady amount each growing season. Light, pot size and feeding move that timeline more than anything else.

How do I keep liquorice smaller?

The decisive tool is the secateurs: liquorice can be topped (cut the main growing tip) to cap its height and force a bushier, shorter shape. Keeping it deliberately pot-bound in a snug container slows the whole plant and limits ultimate size. Prune in spring so it heals fast; remove the tallest leader back to a node to reset the height. Expect to top or hard-prune it every year or two — left alone it heads for the ceiling.

How can I make liquorice grow bigger or faster?

It already wants the bright light it needs; warmth, a yearly pot-up and spring-summer feed are the accelerators. Pot up a size every year or two while young; restricted roots are the main thing holding height back. Feed regularly through the growing season and keep it warm — height comes from sustained good conditions.