Virginia Tech Dendrology

Florida anise tree Illiaceae Illicium floridanum Ellis symbol: ILFL
Leaf: Alternate, evergreen, simple, lanceolate to narrowly ovate, thickened, to 8 inches, entire margin, with a red petiole, fragrant when crushed.
Flower: Species is monoecious; showy, usually red-maroon, but a white cultivar "alba" exists, borne singly on long stalks, 1 to 2 inches across, with numerous long thin petals, appearing in spring, somewhat pungent.
Fruit: An inconspicuous star-shaped cluster of woody follicles.
Twig: Moderate to stout, red to green with red to green buds, terminal buds large and clustered, distinctly imbricate, leaf scars football-shaped, lateral buds minute.
Bark: Gray-brown and smooth.
Form: A multistem shrub to 10 feet, with a lesser spread, suckers from the roots.
Looks like: yellow anisetree

Additional Range Information: Illicium floridanum is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. Download the full-size PDF map.
External Links: USDA Plants Database - Horticulture Information
All material 2021 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information