Herb: Aniseed Tree


Latin name: Illicium floridanum


Family: Illiciaceae (Star-anise Family)



Edible parts of Aniseed Tree:

Said to be used as a spice. No further details are given, but the leaves have a strong aroma of aniseed.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Shrub

Height:
2 m
(6 1/2 foot)

Flowering:
May to
June

Scent:
Scented
Shrub

Habitat of the herb:

Lowland wet areas, often in sandy soils along streams, swamps and at the head of bays, in light woodland and thickets.

Propagation of Aniseed Tree:

Seed - it does not require pre-treatment and can be sown in early spring in a greenhouse. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant out in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts, and give some protection from the cold over the winter for the first year or two. Layering in early spring. Takes 18 months. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, August in a frame. Pot up the cuttings when they start to root and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter, planting out after the last expected frosts. Suckers are sometimes produced at some distance from the parent plant. These suckers can be potted up in early spring, then grown on for a year before planting them out into their permanent positions.

Cultivation of the herb:

Lowland wet areas, often in sandy soils along streams, swamps and at the head of bays, in light woodland and thickets.

Medicinal use of Aniseed Tree:

None known

Known hazards of Illicium floridanum:

Although no mention of toxicity has been seen for this species, at least one other member of the genus has a fruit that is poisonous in quantity.

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.