This rapidly growing, evergreen, Florida native shrub has olive green leaves and reddish-purple, starry, two-inch flowers. The many slender branches of Florida anise droop to he ground, giving a rounded, open canopy in the shade, ideal for natural settings, or in sunny locations it can be pruned into dense hedges or windbreaks. The small, somewhat showy, maroon flowers appear in spring and are followed in late summer to fall by star-shaped, many-seeded pods which cling to the stems. The leaves of Florida anise give off a distinctive odor when bruised or crushed.

Pronunciation: ill-LISS-see-um flor-rid-DAY-num

Common name(s): Florida anise tree, Florida anise