Henry Anise Tree is a flowering evergreen shrub, native to China, in the Schisandraceae family. It is found on cliffs and scrub brush habitat. It grows to 6 to 8 feet tall and 4 to 6 feet wide with a dense pyramidal to rounded shape. Pink to red waxy blooms with up to 20 petals occurs in spring. The leaves have an anise aroma when crushed. Henry Anise Tree grows best in moist, high organic, well-drained, acidic soil in partial to full shade. It will tolerate full sun with care. You can use the plant as a specimen, as a hedge for privacy, for winter interest, or in small groups. Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: No serious insect or disease problems. However, keep a watch for the presence of whiteflies. VIDEO created by Andy Pulte for “Landscape Plant Identification, Taxonomy and Morphology” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee. More information on Illicium .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day) | Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight) | Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt)
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
3 feet-6 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 6 ft. 0 in. - 8 ft. 0 in. | Width: 4 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Dense; Erect; Pyramidal; Rounded
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Obovate; Ovate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Leathery; Rubbery; Smooth; Waxy
Leaf value
Fragrant; Long-lasting
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Alternate, simple, leathery, lustrous, dark green leaves; 4 to 5 inches long; fragrant when bruised. Paler undersides.
Flower color
Orange; Pink; Red/Burgundy
Flower form
Solitary
Flower shape
Star
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
1 to 1 1/2 inch waxy pink to deep crimson flowers in spring.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Brown/Copper
Fruit type
Follicle
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
Brown, star-shaped seed pods in fall
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Central and South China
Wildlife value
Deer and rabbit tolerant
Attracts
Songbirds
Play value
Screening
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall
Fruit type
Follicle
Edibility
All species and cultivars of Illicium, except for I. verum (Chinese Star Anise), have varying levels of toxicity.
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Coastal; Lawn; Naturalized Area; Slope/Bank
Landscape theme
Shade Garden; Winter Garden
Design feature
Accent; Border; Hedge; Mass Planting; Screen/Privacy; Small groups; Specimen