An extremely rare selection of our North American native Florida Anise, Illicium floridanum 'Laura Murphy,' was discovered quite some time ago but has not been promoted as it deserves to be for its remarkable attributes, including large, bold, dark green leaves and unrivaled flower power among Anise. We don't have long-term experience with this cultivar in our gardens, but Mark Weathington, the director of the J.C. Raulston Arboretum does.

"I received the original cuttings of Illicium floridanum 'Laura Murphy' from Flo Chafin back when Specialty Ornamentals was still open. It was an established specimen she had been growing for ages. It was growing in a shady spot under pines and had formed a mound about 5 feet tall and maybe 8 feet wide. It has very dark green leaves and is loaded with vibrant scarlet red flowers in spring that really stand out on long petioles. I pushed for it to be grown for a while and think it's a great plant and highly recommend it." - Mark Weathington

Based on what we've seen, what Mark says about the Laura Murphy Florida Anise is absolutely true. Give this hardy, shade-loving, evergreen beauty at least 8 feet of space to grow in a shady or partially shaded area. Morning and evening sun are okay, but provide shade or filtered sun during the afternoon when the sunlight is most intense. She prefers consistently moist or wet soils, provided the soil is well-draining.