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Illicium parviflorum
Illicium parviflorum Michx. ex Vent.
Yellow Anisetree, Small Anisetree, Star Anise
Illiciaceae (Star-Anise Family)
Synonym(s):
USDA Symbol: ILPA
USDA Native Status: L48 (N)
This shrub's habit is upright and pyramidal, and will form suckering drifts if unrestrained. Plants are usually 15-20 ft. tall. The olive-green foliage provides a slightly different color than the dark-green of most broadleaf evergreens. Non-showy flowers are small, 6-12 petaled, yellow-green and do not have a noticeable odor.
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Plant Characteristics
Duration: PerennialHabit: Shrub
Leaf Retention: Evergreen
Fruit Type: Aggregate , Follicle
Size Notes: Up to about 20 feet tall.
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: GreenBloom Time: May , Jun
Distribution
USA: FL , GANative Distribution: S. GA & FL
Native Habitat: Wet sites
Growing Conditions
Light Requirement: Part ShadeSoil Moisture: Moist
Soil Description: Moist soils.
Conditions Comments: Considered the most rugged of the Illicium spp. as landscape performers. Will adapt to drier conditions.
Benefit
Warning: Berries and leaves can be mildly toxic to humans, especially children, if ingested in large quantities. Sensitivity to a toxin varies with age, weight, physical condition, and individual susceptibility. Children are most vulnerable because of their curiosity and small size. Toxicity can vary in a plant according to season, different plant parts, and its stage of growth; and plants can absorb toxic substances, such as herbicides, pesticides, and pollutants from the water, air, and soil.Deer Resistant: High
Propagation
Description: Easily rooted from cuttings.Commercially Avail: yes
National Wetland Indicator Status
| Region: | AGCP | AK | AW | CB | EMP | GP | HI | MW | NCNE | WMVE |
| Status: | OBL | FACW |
From the National Organizations Directory
According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:Georgia Native Plant Society - Atlanta, GA
Bibliography
Bibref 1620 - Gardening with Native Plants of the South (Reprint Edition) (2009) Wasowski, S. with A. WasowskiSearch More Titles in Bibliography
Web Reference
Webref 57 - Atlas of Florida Plants (2020) Institute for Systematic BotanyWebref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Research Literature
Reslit 987 - Clonal Structure of Wild Populations and Origins of Horticultural Stocks of Illicium parviflorum (Illiciaceae) (2010) D. L. Newell and A. B. MorrisReslit 1270 - Host status of woody ornamental plants native to Southeastern USA to three Meloidogyne species (2005) J. Sharma and J. R. Rich
Reslit 1414 - Volatile oils of Illicium floridanum and I. parviflorum (Illiciaceae) of the southeastern United States and their potential economic utilization (1999) A. O. Tucker and M. J. Maciarello
Reslit 1767 - Interactions of exposure time and temperature on thermostability and protein content of excised Illicium parviflorum roots (1986) D. L. Ingram, P. G. Webb and R. H. Biggs
Reslit 1935 - Cytotaxonomy of Illicium floridanum and I. parviflorum (Illiciaceae) (1968) D. E. Stone and J. L. Freeman
Reslit 2783 - Reclaimed water and Florida natives II (1992) L. M. Robinson, J. R. Parnell
This information was provided by the Florida WIldflower Foundation.
Search More Titles in Research Literature
Additional resources
USDA: Find Illicium parviflorum in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Illicium parviflorum in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Illicium parviflorum
Metadata
Record Modified: 2026-06-30Research By: TWC Staff