The Ocala Anise is a low maintenance, evergreen native to Central Florida. With mature heights up to 20 feet, Ocala Anise are generally considered large shrubs or small trees. This small tree is a member of the same family of plants that produces the spice, “star anise”, and its leaves produce a sweet, licorice-y scent when crushed. The seed pods of the Ocala Anise look very similar to the “star anise” spice, but are not edible. Ocala Anise’s long, ellipse shaped leaves vary from a dark, lush green if grown in the shade, to a sunny yellow tone if grown in full sun. If allowed to grow on its own, the Ocala Anise will take on a pyramidal shape, but can easily be pruned into formal hedges or limbed up as a small multi-trunked tree. It’s important to note that the plant will need to be watered more often if grown in full sun, but is moderately drought resistant. They are well suited for creating borders or as single specimens in smaller landscapes.