Meet Illicium: A Shade-Loving Shrub with Personality

I can remember a time when there were few shade-loving shrubs from which to choose for the North Carolina landscape. In the early years of the “Weekend Gardener,” Erv Evans or those who filled in for him, would primarily recommend: acubas, rhododendrons, azaleas, or hydrangeas. Now there are a plethora of woody plants for the darker areas of your yard. What I am building up to is the world of Illiciums or Illicium parviflorum, illicium floridanum and illicium parviflorum anise shrubs. The leaves of this species have a distinctively pleasant scent when crushed. Most people say it smells like licorice, which is not my favorite. However, I do think it has a unique fragrance. The flowers of the floridanum have another distinctive attribute. They are pretty, a red to maroon color with a raw fishy fragrance. Some say it smells like a wet dog. This odor is not apparent unless the flower is right up to your nose. The plant usually blooms in April and May.… Continue Reading