Philadelphia Suburbs, PA (Zone 7a) | May 2017 | positive
Truth be told, I forget if my plant is Woodland Ruby or Halley's Comet. Probably the tag is buried under 6 years of accumulated mulch....Read Morer />
One of my favorite shrubs, I have it planted in a full shade, wet (yet well drained), protected nook between the garage and the front porch. The foliage and lax yet dense plant habit looks as good in January as it does in June.
Flowers heavily starting in early April for about two months, then occasionally in summer. After a short break, in mid-fall it is flowering again and has a few flowers on it most years even as late as Christmas.
The colder the temperatures, the more red the flowers. In summer, the flowers lighten from red to pink. The flowers have that unique shape but they smell like wet dog to me, even from a distance, especially on warm, humid days. The only downside to having it planted next to the front door!
In early winter I collect all of the star-shaped, nicely-fragrant seed pods and use them in craft projects or displayed in a glass bowl. I routinely find seedlings around the base, pot them up and give to friends.
Zero insect or disease problems. Easy to prune if needed. I occasionally do get some small branch breakage if it gets coated in an ice storm.
Notes from JC Raulston Arboretum at NCSU: A hybrid of the red-flowered Illicium mexicanum and white-flowered Illicium floridanum f. album...Read More introduced by Woodlanders Nursery. Ruby-pink starfish-like flowers are larger than those on either parent. Extended blooming period from the Mexican parent.
Truth be told, I forget if my plant is Woodland Ruby or Halley's Comet. Probably the tag is buried under 6 years of accumulated mulch....Read More
Notes from JC Raulston Arboretum at NCSU: A hybrid of the red-flowered Illicium mexicanum and white-flowered Illicium floridanum f. album...Read More