NEW RELEASE. Hakko Japanese Anise. This magnificent new cultivar of Japanese Anise shrub is probably the first release in the West. It emerges with almost totally white new growth in the spring. As the new growth hardens off it begins to slowly turn green. But amazingly, each flush of new growth succeeding the initial flush will also display the white new growth. And the late summer flushes will be "whiter" than all of the other flushes and will remain white all winter long. Our Pittosporum tobira 'Spring Bouquet' displays the same characteristic with is initial flush of white new growth. There is another older cultivar in Japan with this characteristic with the cultivar name of 'Akebono', and there are some very minute differences between the two. Japanese Anise prefer shade or filtered sun. If one must expose this plant to sun, site it in morning sun. The flowers are the typical star-shaped white of the species which emerge before the new growth, so that the white flowers have a backdrop of green foliage when they open. The best thing about all of the Illiciums that we grow is that they seem to be resistant to deer, and this is a blessing when you live in deer country. Though this species closely resembles Illicium verum, the star anise of the culinary world, the seed of Illicium anisatum are poisonous. So, don't use these for consumption. With the pictures, the first two show the white new flushes in late summer which will last all winter. The last two pictures are typical of the new spring growth which is more of a cream-white color, and these leaves will eventually slowly turn green, usually before the next flush.
Zones (6) 7-9
