Illicium floridanum Large Shrubs Gardeners in the Deep South

Gardeners in the Deep South have long grown the plant for the same reason

nana was found in just a few places in the hills of northern Alabama and northern Georgia

and the plant asks almost nothing in return: no rich soil

the dense upright form clips into a fine-textured evergreen column

Here is the honest catch

Illicium floridanum Large Shrubs Gardeners in the Deep SouthIllicium floridanum, the Florida anise, is a lush evergreen shrub of the southern woods, prized for glossy, dark green leaves that release a clean anise or licorice scent when crushed. In mid spring the plant hangs itself with curious flowers, two inches across and shaped like deep maroon starfish, their many narrow petals radiating from the center. Dense, shade loving, and richly aromatic in leaf, Florida anise brings a bold, tropical looking