Anise Magnolia: Care, Growing Guide, & Facts
Anise Magnolia Plant Description
For many people, flowering ornamentals serve as a reminder of the coming spring season, and magnolias are among the best. Some species in a genus noted for its beauty may steal your breath away, while others make you want to take it all in.
Anise Magnolia, a gorgeous Japanese native, dazzles with white, fragile, star-like blooms that are precursors to the deciduous magnolia’s leaves.
The blossoms themselves are impressive enough, but when you get close enough to inhale the perfume, you’ll be overwhelmed by an irresistible anise-lemon blend. When you scrape the bark, you’ll get a whiff of the scent.
Aside from the scent, check for the blossoms to identify the anise magnolia. Tepals are six-sided “petals” with a tinge of pink at the base of the blooms. In the early spring, before the leaves open, its blossoms bloom from bare branches.
The leaves are slender and willow-like, earning the plant its scientific name. The Latin term “salicornia” means “willow-leafed.” The leaves are distinct from those of most other magnolias, so in addition to the scent, this is a simple way to identify the tree.
It has fruits that are intriguing to look at even before they develop into bright red seed pods in late summer. They stand out against the tree’s dark green foliage. The leaves turn a stunning golden-yellow in the fall before being shed in the chilly weather.
This is when a scratch and sniff session on the fragrant bark, now free of leaf, releases the warming fragrances of lemon. It grows up to 20 to 30 feet.
How To Care Anise Magnolia?
Anise magnolia trees are quite simple to grow. The most pressing problem is locating a good location that is wind-protected and has wet soil with proper drainage. Also, because it is a highly decorative tree, give it a prominent location where it can be seen, enjoyed, and breathed in.
Once you’ve found the ideal location, it’s time to get your hands dirty and start planting. The first step is to dig a hole twice as wide and as deep as the root ball or container of your tree.
Remove the tree from its burlap or container gently and place it in the hole, keeping it upright while you fill the hole and compress the earth. Lightly mulch the tree’s dripline to a depth of three inches, making sure no mulch contacts the tree’s trunk.
If the tree is far from a water source, make a mound around the mulch to hold water and moisture. Soak the tree completely. For the first year, water your magnolia consistently until it has established itself.
How To Grow Anise Magnolia?
i. Light
If your anise magnolia is watered frequently and is in a location with good moist soil, it can tolerate full sun. If the soil isn’t especially wet, try to put it in a part-shade location.
ii. Soil
The soil you select to plant your magnolia will be critical to its success, so make sure to evaluate it for drainage. At the planting location, dig a hole 12 inches wide by 12 inches deep. Fill the hole halfway with water and drain it.
Then, when it has drained, refill it with water and observe how long it takes to drain this time. Water will drain at a rate of around one inch per hour on well-drained soil. A rapid pace, such as in loose, sandy soil, might indicate that the region is possibly dry.
A slower pace indicates inadequate drainage and is a warning sign that you should amend the soil, plant in a bed, or search for plants that are more tolerant of damp soil conditions.
The optimum soil is acidic, but if yours isn’t, you may alter it later by using amendments. However, checking the soil before planting to ensure that you are ahead of the game is a good idea.
iii. Water
Water your magnolia consistently for the first year or so as it establishes itself. Unless your location is suffering from drought or is particularly dry, the tree should not require more watering once it has established itself.
iv. Temperature and Humidity
Temperature extremes do not favour anise magnolias.They can withstand cold temperatures, but they don’t enjoy extremes. They prefer dependably wet soil in summer temperatures, so they benefit from the odd downpour.
v. Fertilizer
Fertilize anise in late winter or early spring with a sulfur- and iron-rich slow-release shrub or tree food. Late in the summer, a second application can be submitted. Anise magnolia is not poisonous.
The cuisine has fallen out of favour, although the petals of magnolia blooms were previously consumed during the colonial era. They have a strong flavour and smell, similar to how they taste.
The petals were pickled in a brine that was similar to a sweet and sour pickle brine to lessen the flavour. The dried leaves of the magnolia tree were also used to flavour soups, stews, and sauces, much like the bay leaf.
Varieties of Anise Magnolia
The anise magnolia comes in a variety of cultivars and has been used to produce a number of hybrid magnolias, the most notable of which being Magnolia x kewensis ‘Wada’s Memory.’
If you don’t like the scents of lemon and anise and prefer orange blossom, the hybrid could be for you. The blooms are also distinct, being bigger, more numerous, and shaped like tulips.
