When to plant Licorice in Tropical Australia
Tropical zone — applies to Darwin, Cairns, Townsville, Broome, Mackay and similar areas. Growing elsewhere? Temperate · Cool · Subtropical · Arid.
Licorice is not recommended for tropical gardens, and there is no reliable sowing window here. It is a deep-rooted, temperate perennial that wants a long, dry summer and a cool, dormant winter to build the sweet compounds in its roots — conditions the tropics never provide. The humid, frost-free climate of Darwin and Cairns instead encourages soft top growth and root rot rather than the firm, flavourful taproots licorice is grown for. Where it does suit, seed germinates in 20–30 days and roots take a very long 365–730 days to mature, sown 5 mm deep and spaced 30–50 cm apart. In the tropics, choose a better-adapted crop.
Sowing calendar — tropical zone
No sowing window in this zone.
Growing notes
Licorice is a patient, dry-climate perennial, and the tropics work against almost everything it needs. Its value lies in thick taproots that develop their characteristic sweetness slowly over one to two years, but that development depends on the seasonal dry and cool that Broome, Townsville or Cairns cannot offer. That mismatch is why there is no recommended sowing window for it here.
The dominant failure mode is root rot. Licorice roots must run deep into dry, free-draining soil and are highly prone to rotting in the warm, waterlogged ground of the tropical wet season. Even if the plant survives above ground, roots grown in humid heat tend to be soft, watery and low in flavour rather than firm and sweet. The two-year maturity window also means the plant must survive multiple wet seasons, compounding the risk each time.
If you are determined to experiment, grow a single plant in a very deep, large container of gritty, fast-draining mix, keep it protected from wet-season rain, and accept that yields and flavour will disappoint. A far more rewarding approach in the tropics is to grow herbs and roots suited to heat and humidity — turmeric, ginger and galangal all thrive in the same beds where licorice would fail, and reward you within a single season rather than after two uncertain years.
Licorice at a glance
| Sowing depth | 5 mm |
|---|---|
| Plant spacing | 30-50 cm |
| Row spacing | 60 cm |
| Germination | 20-30 days |
| Days to maturity | 365-730 days |
| Frost tolerance | Hardy |
| Method | Plant Seedlings |
Common questions
- Can you grow licorice in the tropics?
- Not reliably. Licorice is a temperate perennial needing dry summers and cool winters to develop sweet roots, and the humid, frost-free tropics cannot provide that. It is not recommended for tropical gardens.
- Why do licorice roots rot in tropical soil?
- Licorice roots need deep, dry, free-draining ground, but the tropical wet season keeps soil warm and waterlogged, which causes rot. Even surviving roots tend to be soft and low in flavour rather than firm and sweet.
- How long does licorice take to grow?
- Roots take a very long 365–730 days to mature even in ideal climates. In the tropics that means surviving multiple wet seasons, which greatly increases the chance of failure along the way.
- What can I grow instead of licorice in Cairns?
- Turmeric, ginger and galangal are excellent alternatives that thrive in tropical heat and humidity. They suit the same beds where licorice would fail and give you a harvest within a single season.
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