Flower profile
Florida anise
Illicium floridanum
Florida anise is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Mississippi it's most often seen in bloom in February–April.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Mississippi
Quick look
Illicium floridanum is an evergreen shrub native to the Gulf Coast area of the Southern United States, from Florida to Louisiana.
- It belongs to the Schisandraceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub / a tree with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 5 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Mississippi. NatureServe
- In Mississippi, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in February–April. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 329 research-grade sightings of it in Mississippi, ranking #80 among the 110 flowers on our Mississippi list. iNaturalist
Florida anise gift ideas
Handmade florida anise gifts from independent makers.
🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.
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Florida anise art print
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Florida anise greeting card
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Florida anise mug
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Florida anise earrings
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Florida anise embroidery pattern
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Florida anise sticker
When does it bloom?
In Mississippi, most flowering sightings come in February–April.
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
- Mississippi
- No list Mississippi has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Mississippi ranks instead. NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Mississippi.
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: GA (SH). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
NC State Extension lists it as poisonous to humans (severity: low). Poisonous parts: fruits, leaves, seeds. Symptoms they list: “Poisonous to humans and livestock if ingested. NOT a substitute for the star anise spice. All species and cultivars of Illicium, except for I. verum (Chinese Star Anise), have varying levels of toxicity.” They also note: “POISONOUS IF INGESTED. NOT a substitute for the star anise spice.” NC State Extension
NC State Extension flags it as a problem for children and horses. It isn't on the ASPCA plant list. NC State Extension
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records Florida anise in 5 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi.
Mississippi counties with USDA records: Amite, Clarke, Copiah, Covington, Forrest, George, Harrison, Jasper, Jones, Lafayette, Lamar, Lawrence, Lincoln, Marion, Pearl River, Perry, Pike, Simpson, Smith, Stone, Wayne.
More Mississippi flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile ILFL.
- iNaturalist, Illicium floridanum: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Illicium floridanum (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Mississippi: Mississippi Noxious Weed List (2 Miss. Code R. 1-3-01-136.01).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Illicium floridanum (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
- Photo: Anders Hastings via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.