Illicium

( ill - LISS - ee - um )

At-A-Glance Information

Illicium is also called Anise Tree or Star Anise, and needs partial or full shade and ample water. All parts of the species Illicium anisatum are poisonous when ingested. This genus includes shrubs and small trees, and leaves produce an anise-smell when crushed. Pods from this genus (not to be confused with Illicium verum) are not edible. Use these plants for their bold foliage and interesting flowers. Their natural habitat is moist, woodland understorey areas.

Illicium Species and Varietals

The genus Illicium includes about 40 species and is a member of the plant family Schisandraceae. The genus name Illicium is derived from the verb to allure in Italian (illicere). The best zones for growing Illicium are 4-9 and 14-24. See the descriptions below for more information. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.

Illicium anisatum (Anise Shrub, Japanese Anise)
This 6-10 feet tall, 6-8 foot wide shrub is native to Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. Glossy leaves and scentless flowers in clusters. Flowers start yellow-green and fade to creamy white. The wood is highly fragrant and is used for incense. All parts of this plant are toxic when ingested.

Illicium mexicanum (Mexican Anise)
This shrub gets to 4 feet tall and wide and is native to Mexico. Medium green leaves with red stems and reddish-pink flowers produced in spring. Some repeat blooms occur through summer months.

​Illicium parviflorum (Yellow Anise)
Native to Florida, Georgia and grows slowly to 8-15 feet tall, with olive-green foliage and inconspicuous yellow flowers that bloom in summer. Leaves are fragrant. Evergreen.

Caring for and pruning Illicium shrubs

Grow Illicium shrubs in moist, well-draining soil. They can handle a wide range of soil types and prefer a soil pH of between 5.0 and 6.5 (acidic to slightly acidic). These shrubs prefer partial shade, though they can be grown in full sun as long as they receive some afternoon shade. Feed with a balanced, slow-release shrub and tree fertilizer yearly in late winter or early springtime. Pruning these shrubs is relatively simple; in late winter or early springtime, Anise Tree can be pruned to shape and also to remove dead or diseased wood.

Propagation

Illicium shrubs can be propagated either by using cuttings or from seed. To ensure that your propagated plant will have the exact same qualities and characteristics as the parent plant, use the cutting method. If you would like to experiment and see what plant you can grow from seed, just keep in mind that it will not necessarily be the same as the parent plant. To propagate your shrub, follow the instructions below:

Propagating Illicium by Cutting
  1. Gather your materials. You'll need a clean, sanitized, sharp pair of garden shears, rooting hormone, a pencil, and a 3-inch pot filled with well-draining compost or other organic material. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand.
  2. In spring or early summertime, choose the plant that you'd like to propagate. Ensure that this plant has had a good watering the night before, as this will improve the chances your cutting will take root. Cut one or more 6 inch portion(s) of the end of a non-blooming branch and strip all but the top leaf off. Wrap the cut end of the cutting in a dry paper towel for 24 hours; this will dry it out.
  3. Make a hole in your planting medium by pushing your pencil into the soil. Dip the end of the stem in rooting hormone, and plant it in your pot. Fill in soil around the cutting to support it, but do not pack it down too much.
  4. Moisten with water, and ensure that the pot has good drainage. Your pot should be kept in warm, sunny conditions indoors (and not in direct sunlight). Water whenever your soil is dry under the top layer. After about four to six weeks have passed, your cutting should be rooted. When you notice new growth, you'll know you have roots.
  5. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring, when you can transplant it to its new home. Ensure that the last frost of the year has occurred before doing this, as it can seriously damage your new shrub.

Propagating Illicium by Seed
  1. Keep in mind that the plant you get from seed will not necessarily mimic all of the characteristics of the parent plant. To propagate by seed, you will need a paper bag, a pot or tray filled with well-draining compost or other organic material, a spray bottle and a fork. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand. You will also, after a few weeks, need individual 3-inch pots for each seedling that grows.
  2. Harvest your seeds. The seed pods are easy to spot; they'll remain on the shrub after flowers fade and are shaped like little brown stars. The seeds are contained inside, and once the pods begin to open a bit, they can be taken off the shrub and placed in a paper bag. They will continue to open inside the bag, and once they've all been released, you can remove them and work with them.
  3. Water your prepared seed tray or pot filled with soil, and ensure that good drainage is occurring. Place your seeds in your prepared pot or seed tray about a quarter inch to a half-inch under the soil surface. Cover them with soil and water with your spray bottle. Place your tray of seeds in a warm area that receives bright, indirect light. A greenhouse is the most ideal climate, but a planting tray inside a window will do as well. Germination usually takes 3 months from sowing. Once you begin to see seedlings sprout and they are able to be handled, transplant them to their own individual 3-inch pots, filled with the same potting medium as described in Step 1. Loosen the seedlings from the potting medium by digging down with the tines of your fork about an inch and a half, gently working the seedling up until it is out. Then, replant the seedling in its individual pot.
  4. Keep the seedling's potting medium moist, but not wet, by spraying the soil with your spray bottle. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring (after the danger of frost has passed), when you can transplant it to its new home.
Illicium seed pods, turning brown and ready to be picked off the shrub.
Illicium seeds are contained within star-shaped seed pods.

Problems and Pests

Illicium shrubs are generally resistant to pests and diseases.
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Gallery

Use Illicium shrubs in mixed borders.
These flowering shrubs are at home in woodland areas, where they get filtered sun during the day.
Use Illicium shrubs as background shrubs; their beautiful foliage provides a great backdrop for other plants.

Videos

Check out Illicium parviflorum.
All about Illicium.

Resources

Concluding embryogenesis after diaspora: seed germination in Illicium parviflorum
How to Plant, Fertilize, Prune, Water, Grow and Care for Anise Trees and Shrubs
Wikipedia: Illicium
The New Sunset Western Garden Book: The Ultimate Gardening Guide (2012) - Page 373, Illicium
If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or photos you’d like to add to the gallery, please let me know by sending me a message using the button below!
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