Anise Magnolia, Japanese Willow-Leaf Magnolia

The best of the spring-blooming magnolias, in my opinion, and unjustly neglected in our gardens and landscapes.

The white ...Read Morespring flowers resemble those of the star magnolia, and like them they bloom profusely on leafless branches. But they bloom about two weeks later, which means the display is much less often spoiled by an untimely frost. The fragrance is sweet and lacks the heavy foetid overtones most magnolias have.

The leaves are sweetly fragrant when crushed. To my nose, they smell like spicebush, or sassafras, or myrtle, or bay laurel, or of the flowers produced by the same tree. I don't smell anything like anise, but some apparently do.

Unlike most magnolias, the leaves turn a good yellow in the fall.

This species occurs in the wild as an understory tree in moist to dry woodland and mountain slopes. It blooms almost as well in dappled shade as it does in full sun.

All of the trees at the Arnold Arboretum have an upright-pyramidal habit, retaining that shape into maturity. It's said that other trees in cultivation may be multistemmed and shrubby or irregular.

I saw a small to medium sized tree on the Minnesota Arboretum site. Hadn't seen it in bloom. Have lots of small leaves at least one to tw...Read Moreo inches long that smell strongly like anise. I wonder why it is rare as it was thriving at the site and is not necessary focus on flowers.