Illicium Verum Seeds & Plants

Description

• Star anise is an evergreen tree with white bark up to 60 feet tall. Its leaves are spear-shaped and up to 6 inches long with slightly hairy undersides. The flowers are pale yellow to pink or purple and are followed by star-shaped seedpods with boat-shaped points, each holding a shiny, brown seed.

Origins

• The star anise tree is believed to be from the forests of Guangxi Province in Southern China but is now only known in cultivation. It grows naturally at altitudes between 650 and 5,000 feet. Star anise favors areas with an average temperature of between 53 and 64 degrees Fahrenheit and with 40 to 80 inches of rain per year.

Cultivation

• Although it is frost tender, star anise will grow in U.S. Department of Agriculture zones 8 and above with minimum temperatures of 10 degrees Fahrenheit. It requires well-drained, slightly acidic soil and a sheltered, sunny or partially shaded site to thrive. Star anise plants need plenty of water and should be fertilized lightly during the warmer months of the year.

Propagation

• Star anise is propagated from seed sown during the spring. It can also be grown from semiwoody cuttings or by air-layering of an existing plant. Seedlings and just rooted cuttings must be kept in a greenhouse or otherwise protected from frost.