Kogane Fuji Japanese Anise. Illicium is one of my favorite genera, the main reason may be because our deer have never developed a taste for them. Praise the Lord! But then the other day someone told me that deer had actually nibbled on theirs, which sent shivers up my spine. Well, so far our deer have not gotten that desperate. This Japanese species is starting to sport more and more variegated cultivars, with this one being one of the more outstanding. We have been selling 'Fuji no Shirazuki' for a number of years, but for lack of knowledge, we were calling it 'Albo-marginata'. I christened this cultivar as Lunar 'Eclipse', but just recently noted plantsman and author Mikinori Ogisu gave me the correct cultivar name of 'Kogane Fuji'. The leaf is somewhat more broad than 'Fuji no Shirazuki' with a broader white margin. It is truly outstanding. This is our first offering of this slow growing plant, but still it is quite hardy. It has the same white star-shaped flowers of the species. It is happiest when grown in filtered sun to shade. It might tolerate morning sun in its northern range. The last picture is the size of plant that we are offering in a 6 inch pot.
Zones 7-9
