The plant made it through winter and summer. I planted it from a 3 gallon pot and it is now just over 3ft tall. It only pinked up around December last year. The pink was a pale pink and not particularly eye catching. It took the frosts well with no dead parts at the end of winter. It is planted in a shady corner that gets around 3 hours sun from 8 until 11 in the morning during summer. Full shade for the rest of the day. The leaves drooped every day during summer when it caught sun. It perked up again later in the afternoon. I had to water it every other day during mid summer to keep it happy. It had beautiful red flowers during spring that only lasted a short time before dropping off. The leaves are very fragrant when touched. The variegation stayed on all new growth. Photos from today. Unfortunately I don't have any photos from the pink phase. I'm happy with the plant as it does give interest to an otherwise plain shady spot.

Good question. The leaves of Illicium floridatum have an appealling anise scent to most noses, except deer, hurray! The maroon flowers, however, have a divided consensus. I use it, when in bloom on garden walks, as an illustration of how scent can be quite subjective. I ask participants to smell the flower, and weigh in on it's appeal. It is unfailingly about half and half with people who find it attractive vs "Yeccchhhh!". I find it attractive, kind of salty and citrusy, "like the beach", and others concur. The other half, including Dr. Dirr, find it stinky like wet dogs or old socks. I'd guess you'd have to find which half you're in to determine where to plant it. Beyond that, it's an incredibly useful plant for evergreen shady screening, and should be used more.

I would be very grateful, if someone,could send me some seeds ,or better cuttings,of this little gem named "Illicium floridanum " (the red or the white one)! Thank you in advance phil

pH of 7.4 is just a little above neutral, so not bad for many plant species. BTW, if compost from an area having more or less neutral pH soil is tested for its pH, it will generally be right around the same range as the area's soil. Some folks think compost is always highly acidic. In fact, it rarely is, and then only if strongly acidic feedstocks were used in its prep. +oM