MARK, in Blackhall, County Durham, wonders if it is possible to grow liquorice plants in the UK.

LIQUORICE is a herbaceous perennial, pea-like plant called glycyrrhiza glabra and is native to areas of Southern Europe and Asia.

The meaning of the Greek word glycyrrhiza is “sweet root” and it is the roots of the plant that give liquorice its characteristic flavour, being some 50 times sweeter than sugar.

It is thought that the first liquorice plants were brought to England during the Crusades by monks who stopped in Pontefract to establish a monastery. As a result, the Yorkshire town soon became the centre of Britain’s liquorice industry.

Excavations at the Priory of St. John revealed the remains of a medieval pharmacy where liquorice was extracted from the roots of the plant and used in the preparation of medicines.

Despite our cooler climate, the liquorice plants thrived in the deep loamy soil, which is an essential requirement for their cultivation The plants are graceful, appearing feathery from a distance and bearing attractive blue flowers in late summer followed by red seeds in the autumn.

They grow to a height of 1.5 to two metres, with a spread of one metre.

As I mentioned earlier, they grow in any well-drained soil, but they do best on sandy soil near streams in a sunny position. Be warned though, once they are happy, the roots can grow up to four metres.

The roots are a bright yellowish brown colour and are easily cut with a knife to show a yellow juicy substance which has a peculiar earthy odour and a sweet flavour.

In autumn, the plants are dug up and the roots cut away from the crown. The crowns are then stored in slightly moist compost and put in a cool dark place for the winter. In spring, the crown can be planted out after all risk of frost has past.

The extract of the liquorice root is one of the main ingredients in liquorice confectionery. The woody root can be shredded and added to boiling water to create liquorice root tea. Liquorice root has been traditionally used as a herbal remedy for symptoms such as cough and catarrh. People with heart conditions or high blood pressure should avoid ingesting extensive amounts of liquorice, as it can further heighten blood pressure and lead to stroke.

Commercially, liquorice is used as an emulsifier to create foam in drinks, both alcoholic and soft. Liquorice is sometimes also used to flavour cigarettes. The hard red seeds are sometimes used to make prayer beads. In India, they are used to weigh gold, under the name of Rati as they weigh exactly one carat each. In the film Goldrush, A starving Charlie Chaplin eats his own shoe laces, but the laces were in fact made of liquorice!

Some of the larger mail order plant companies sell crowns, so if you fancy trying something a bit different it will be well worth having a go.

Brigid presents the BBC Tees Gardening show on Sundays from 1pm to 2pm. Questions can be answered on the day by emailing brigidpress@bbc.co.uk any time during the week, or texting 07786-200995 and phoning (01642) 225511 during the show. Written letters can be addressed to Lazy Dayz,10 Farm Road, Houghall, Durham, DH1 3SF.