Two new hybrid anise (Illicium) shrubs have been released by the NCSU Mountain Crop Improvement Lab in Mills River, NC.  These new star anise shrubs, bred by Dr. Tom Ranney, are hybrids between Illicium floridanum and I. mexicanum.  These native evergreen shrubs are low-maintenance and adapt to a wide range of growing conditions (USDA hardiness zones 6b-9a – hardy in zone 6a in a protected landscape area).

These new anise hybrids grow 3 feet high x 5 feet wide in either full sun to part shade and moist, well-drained, moderately acidic @ pH 6.0  soil. Anise shrubs tolerate shady, damp, and wet sites as well.

Anise shrubs have two main bloom seasons, first in April-May and bloom sporadically in September -November. Flowers are solitary and mostly outward-facing to nodding. Individual blossoms last 5-10 days and emit a slight anise fragrance.

The evergreen leaves are smooth (glabrous), moderately shade tolerant, and highly disease and deer resistant. These dense, well-branched shrubs exhibit lateral branches ranging between 7.5 and 18 inches in length. Green fruits, less than one inch wide, ripen greenish yellow late in the year.

‘Scorpio’ bears large 1-3 inch wide bright burgundy red flowers that bloom in spring with secondary flowering in early fall. This moderately growing shrub is compact, 3-5 feet tall and wide along with handsome evergreen foliage.

‘Orion’ bears large 1-3 inch wide yellowish-white flowers with numerous strap-shaped, radial petals, averaging 22 in number. Blooms heavily in spring and sparsely in early fall. This compact 3-5 feet tall and wide shrub has handsome evergreen foliage.