One of my favorite native shrubs is Florida Anise. Illicium floridanum actually makes a tree about 10 feet tall.
The evergreen leaves are dark and shiny. Very unusual red flowers appear in spring and have star-like petals. Once flowers fade, large star-shaped seed pods develop--very unusual.
Drought tolerant once established, Florida Anise is a good choice for the southern garden. Native to Florida and Louisiana, Illicium Floridanum is too tender for northern gardens as it is hardy in USDA Zones 7-10 only.
Plant in partial shade. Enjoys wet soil, if you have some, and can take more sun if planted in a boggy area.
If you find one growing in the wild, do not dig it up to move it to your garden since Florida Anise is a threatened native species.
Illicium floridanum is not the culinary Anise used as a spice--Florida Anise is poisonous if ingested, which is why deer won't eat it.
Enjoying the same growing conditions as azaleas, camellias, and gardenias, Florida Anise is a good companion for them.If you've been searching for something a little less common than a camellia or gardenia, Florida Anise is perfect.
Since a Georgia winter has frequent warm days, we enjoy spending a lot of time outdoors even in January and February. Finding native plants that are showy in winter can be challenging.
We do have many non-native evergreens in our garden, but we find it important to plant native plants whenever possible. After much searching, I have come up with a few suggestions of American native plants you should add to your winter garden: - American Holly, of course for the berries!
- Pachysandra Procumbens, often referred to as Allegheny Spurge, is a non-invasive groundcover that develops a silvery mottling to its leaves in fall and winter.
- Lonicera fragrantissima begins blooming in January with sweetly fragrant and delicately beautiful blooms as shown in the above photo. This large growing shrub is commonly referred to as Winter Honeysuckle.
- Evergreens are an important addition to any garden. One I like in particular that looks just as good in winter as any other time of year is Arizona Cypress.
- Yucca provides spikey interest year round and provides contrast in the garden. I like 'Golden Sword' for its bright yellow stripes appearing like sunshine in the garden.
In addition to being beautiful year round, these plants offer the added benefit of being drought tolerant, which is an important asset to consider after the drought we've had!
