Great Shrubs for Southern Landscapes

Volume 4, Issue 32
September 6, 2013
Great Shrubs for Southern Landscapes
Among the best evergreen shrubs for the South,
Illicium is one of the most favored by gardeners. This
shrub, commonly known as the Anise-Tree, is
typically a rapid-growing, low maintenance selection
that reaches anywhere between 10 to 15 ft. tall. There
are numerous species of Illicium that do well in the
Southern garden, the best of which are detailed below.
I. floridanum ‘Halley’s Comet’
Table of Contents
Great Shrubs for
Southern
Landscapes
pg. 1
ACS Grant Award
pg. 2
Illicium floridanum gets its name from the fact
that it is native to Florida, where it was first described
by William Bartram. Beyond that state, the Florida
Anise-Tree can be found in Georgia, Alabama, Lockerly Trustees
Mississippi and Louisiana. It became popular in
the early 1980s as a possible substitute for Redtip
David Evans,
Photinia, which is now almost extinct due to disPresident
ease. Florida Anise-Tree is quite variable in habit and
features waxy, dark green leaves. Maroon-purple
Joe Mangum,
flowers with 20- to 30- petals each open in April for
Vice President
around 4 or 6 weeks. However, it is important to note
that these flowers smell horrible! This is something
good to remember when deciding on
Sherrill Jones,
planting locations. Also note that this Secretary/Treasurer
species does not do well in extreme
drought, so it needs to be planted in
Kathy Chandler
light shade in consistently moist soil
Rodger Flotta
in order to maintain its dark green
Jan Flynn, Ph.D.
foliage. While there are a number
of terrific cultivars of I. floridanum, Doug R. Oetter, Ph.D.
Taylor Quedensley,
‘Halley’s Comet’ is perhaps the best.
In spring and into the fall, this cultiPh.D.
var offers abundant flowers in a deep
Dede Reoch
red color that are larger than the
Joni Smith
species.
Bruce Vaughn, CFP
Al Woods
Illicium parviflorum
Illicium anisatum
Illicium parviflorum, or Small Anise-Tree, is the true
favorite of all Anise species among gardeners. Its ease of
culture, drought tolerance, and sun and shade resiliency make it a
perfect choice for your Southern landscape. Moreover, this
plant’s bright, olive-green foliage sets it apart from other Anise
varieties. Small yellow flowers are borne on the leaves beginning in May and lasting sporadically until October. The leaves
contain oils that give the plant a pleasing, sweet fragrance
similar to sassafras. This oil also aids in I. parviflorum’s insect
resistance. This evergreen shrub is native to wet areas of South
Georgia and Northern Florida, and adapts well to our climate.
We have extensive plantings of Small Anise-Tree at Lockerly,
including one very large specimen that reaches over 12 ft. tall.
Illicium anisatum, or Japanese Anise-Tree, is native to Asia and features striking, dark green foliage that is waxy
to the touch and very lustrous. In early spring, usually beginning in March, 20- to 30-petaled white flowers emerge on the
foliage. This shrub grows in a pyramidal shape and requires shade and well-drained soil in order to do well. Although not as
hardy as Illicium floridanum or I. parviflorum, Japanese Anise-Tree is a great selection and can do very well as a filler in the
shaded border. It can reach heights of 6 to 10 ft. tall with a width typically half that size. ‘Pink Stars’ is an excellent cultivar
with flowers that open a demure white color and mature into pink. Its leaves are red and green.
I. henryi has a common name of -- you guessed it -- Henry AniseTree. This is arguably the most aesthetically pleasing Illicium species,
sporting Rhododendron-esque leaves and rose-pink flowers in April and
May. Moreover, the leaves of Henry Anise-Tree are sweetly fragrant,
unlike its Floridian cousin. It is also much more drought-tolerant than
I. floridanum, but should still be planted in shade to ensure the best growth.
It grows to heights of around 6 to 8 ft. tall. Dr. Michael A. Dirr of the
University of Georgia calls I. henryi “the aristocrat of Illicium species.”
I. mexicanum, or Mexican Anise-Tree, is a sprawling species
that has not won many admirers thus far in the South. This is due to the
fact that its performance in this region is considered to be mediocre, at
best. It forms a sprawling evergreen shrub that features similar leaves to
I. floridanum, except much more lustrous, and it sports red flowers come
March. This is perhaps one species that is best left to the collector.
Flower on Illicium henryi
ACS Grant Award
Last Thursday, Lockerly was visited by Dr. John M. Ruter,
current president of the American Conifer Society and professor of
horticulture at the University of Georgia. The purpose of his visit
was to present Lockerly a $3,000 check for a grant awarded to the
Arboretum for the expansion of Lockerly’s Conifer Reference
Garden.
Conifers that are already planted in the expansion site include:
Cryptomeria japonica ‘Globosa Nana’
Cunninghamia konishii
C. lanceolata ‘Glauca’
C. lanceolata
xCupressocyparis leylandii
Thuja occidentalis ‘Golden Globe’
Adding to this collection, Lockerly plans to establish 115
new conifers in the area and unify the collection by establishing
a contiguous bed, similar to our current Conifer Reference Garden area. These new specimens will include a number of Thuja
occidentalis and T. orientalis cultivars, six Chamaecyparis obtusa
cultivars, and cultivars of Cupressus glabra, Juniperus horizontalis and Cedrus deodara, among others. We would like to sincerely
thank Dr. Ruter and the American Conifer Society for this generous grant and the opportunity to further enhance our own Conifer
Reference Garden.
Proposed planting site