Illicium 'Scorpio': Country Or Region Of Origin
Hybrid origin
Plant Profile: Illicium 'Scorpio'
Names
Scorpio Anise-shrub, Star Flower Scorpio
Phonetic Spelling:il-LISS-ee-um
Genus:Illicium
Species:
Family:Schisandraceae
This perennial shrub, developed by Tom Ranney at the Mountain Crop Improvement Lab, is a product of North Carolina State University. It is a hybrid of I. floridanum and I. mexicanum, both of which are now categorized under the name of the former. The shrub features large, vibrant red flowers that bloom several times a year and maintains a compact form. It thrives in partial shade and prefers moist soil, showing resilience in shady, damp, and wet environments.
Illicium 'Scorpio' Feature Summary
Illicium 'Scorpio' Image Gallery
Tags
#cultivars
#showy flowers
#rain garden
#red flowers
#shade tolerant
#fragrant leaves
#shade shrub
#shade garden
#upright form
#year-round interest
#flowering shrub
#mci
#hybrids
#evergreen shrub
#compact habit
#wet soils tolerant
Similar Plants
Illicium 'Scorpio' is often confused with:
Illicium 'Scorpio' Feature Summary
Attributes
Fruit
A star-shaped follicetum about an inch in diameter, yellow-green when immature and brown when mature. 9-14 seeds per fruit.
Aggregate
Follicle
Green
Brown/Copper
Gold/Yellow
< 1 inch
< 1 inch
Flowers
This cultivar has large, red-purple flowers with numerous strap-shaped, radial petals (averages 25). They are solitary and are outward-facing to nodding. They last 5-10 days and each has a slight anise fragrance. The shrub itself has two main bloom seasons, first in April-May and again in September-November, blooming sporadically in between.
Purple/Lavender
Red/Burgundy
Solitary
Fragrant
Showy
Long Bloom Season
Spring
Summer
Fall
more than 20 petals/rays
Radial
1-3 inches
Leaves
The fragrant, glossy, leathery leaves are evergreen, staying on the plant all year long. They are yellow-green in color and arranged alternately to almost whorled on the stems. The veining is reticulate and the petioles may take on a reddish hue.
Broadleaf Evergreen
Green
Gold/Yellow
Simple
Alternate
Elliptical
Entire
3-6 inches
Glossy
Smooth
Leathery
Fragrant
Long-lasting
1-3 inches
Stem
Lateral branches range between 9 and 18 inches long and angled between 45 and 75 degrees. The shape is rounded and has a very thin diameter, no more than 1/4 inch. Internodes are between 2 and 8 inches long. The stem surface is smooth, the color yellow-green maturing to a grey-brown.
Brown/Copper
Green
Gray/Silver
Gold/Yellow
Round
Smooth (glabrous)
Whole Plant Traits
Shrub
Broadleaf Evergreen
Erect
Dense
Medium
Medium
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Acid (<6.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasionally Wet
3 feet-6 feet
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
6a
6b
7a
7b
8b
8a
9a
9b
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Landscape
Pollinator Garden
Winter Garden
Rain Garden
Garden for the Blind
Shade Garden
Border
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Accent
Small groups
Specimen
Wet Soil
Woodland
Naturalized Area
Slope/Bank
Coastal
Pond
Pollinators
Bark
Dark Gray
Light Gray
Dark Brown
Light Brown
Smooth
Illicium 'Scorpio' Image Gallery
Illicium 'Scorpio' Attributes
Illicium 'Scorpio': Life Cycle
Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody
Illicium 'Scorpio': Play Value
Attractive Flowers
Attracts Pollinators
Buffer
Colorful
Defines Paths
Easy to Grow
Edible fruit
Fragrance
Pieces Used in Games
Screening
Shade
Sound
Textural
Wildlife Cover/Habitat
Wildlife Food Source
Wildlife Larval Host
Wildlife Nesting
Wind Break
Wind Shimmer
Illicium 'Scorpio' Fruit
Illicium 'Scorpio': Fruit Description
A star-shaped follicetum about an inch in diameter, yellow-green when immature and brown when mature. 9-14 seeds per fruit.
Illicium 'Scorpio': Fruit Type
Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua
Illicium 'Scorpio': Fruit Color
Brown/Copper
Gold/Yellow
Green
Illicium 'Scorpio': Fruit Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches
Illicium 'Scorpio': Fruit Width
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches
Illicium 'Scorpio' Flowers
Illicium 'Scorpio': Flower Description
This cultivar has large, red-purple flowers with numerous strap-shaped, radial petals (averages 25). They are solitary and are outward-facing to nodding. They last 5-10 days and each has a slight anise fragrance. The shrub itself has two main bloom seasons, first in April-May and again in September-November, blooming sporadically in between.
Illicium 'Scorpio': Flower Color
Purple/Lavender
Red/Burgundy
Illicium 'Scorpio': Flower Inflorescence
Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel
Illicium 'Scorpio': Flower Value To Gardener
Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy
Illicium 'Scorpio': Flower Bloom Time
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Illicium 'Scorpio': Flower Petals
2-3 rays/petals
4-5 petals/rays
6 petals/rays
7 - 20 petals/rays
asymmetrical petals
Bracts
Colored Sepals
fused petals
more than 20 petals/rays
Tepals
Illicium 'Scorpio': Flower Shape
Bell
Cross
Crown
Cup
Dome
Funnel
Irregular
Lipped
Radial
Saucer
Star
Trumpet
Tubular
Urn
Wheel
Illicium 'Scorpio': Flower Size
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
< 1 inch
> 6 inches
Illicium 'Scorpio' Leaves
Illicium 'Scorpio': Leaf Description
The fragrant, glossy, leathery leaves are evergreen, staying on the plant all year long. They are yellow-green in color and arranged alternately to almost whorled on the stems. The veining is reticulate and the petioles may take on a reddish hue.
Illicium 'Scorpio': Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Illicium 'Scorpio': Leaf Color
Gold/Yellow
Green
Illicium 'Scorpio': Leaf Type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple
Illicium 'Scorpio': Leaf Arrangement
Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled
Illicium 'Scorpio': Leaf Shape
Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate
Illicium 'Scorpio': Leaf Margin
Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate
Illicium 'Scorpio': Hairs Present
No
Yes
Illicium 'Scorpio': Leaf Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Illicium 'Scorpio': Leaf Feel
Fleshy
Glossy
Leathery
Papery
Prickly
Rough
Rubbery
Slippery
Smooth
Soft
Velvety
Waxy
Illicium 'Scorpio': Leaf Value To Gardener
Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long-lasting
Showy
Illicium 'Scorpio': Leaf Width
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Illicium 'Scorpio' Stem
Illicium 'Scorpio': Stem Description
Lateral branches range between 9 and 18 inches long and angled between 45 and 75 degrees. The shape is rounded and has a very thin diameter, no more than 1/4 inch. Internodes are between 2 and 8 inches long. The stem surface is smooth, the color yellow-green maturing to a grey-brown.
Illicium 'Scorpio': Stem Color
Brown/Copper
Gold/Yellow
Gray/Silver
Green
Illicium 'Scorpio': Stem Is Aromatic
No
Yes
Illicium 'Scorpio': Stem Cross Section
Angular
Oval
Round
Square
Illicium 'Scorpio': Stem Surface
Corky Ridges
Covered with a powdery bloom (glaucous)
Dull
Hairy (pubescent)
Polished
Smooth (glabrous)
Illicium 'Scorpio' Whole Plant Traits
Illicium 'Scorpio': Plant Type
Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower
Illicium 'Scorpio': Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Illicium 'Scorpio': Habit/Form
Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping
Illicium 'Scorpio': Growth Rate
Slow
Medium
Rapid
Illicium 'Scorpio': Texture
Fine
Medium
Coarse
Illicium 'Scorpio' Cultural Conditions
Illicium 'Scorpio': Light
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Illicium 'Scorpio': Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Illicium 'Scorpio': Soil Drainage
Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry
Illicium 'Scorpio': Available Space To Plant
12 inches-3 feet
12-24 feet
24-60 feet
3 feet-6 feet
6-feet-12 feet
Less than 12 inches
more than 60 feet
Illicium 'Scorpio': NC Region
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
Illicium 'Scorpio': USDA Plant Hardiness Zone
6a
6b
7a
7b
8a
8b
9a
9b
Illicium 'Scorpio': Soil Texture
Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky
Illicium 'Scorpio' Landscape
Illicium 'Scorpio': Landscape Theme
Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden
Illicium 'Scorpio': Design Feature
Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree
Illicium 'Scorpio': Resistance To Challenges
Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind
Illicium 'Scorpio': Landscape Location
Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland
Illicium 'Scorpio': Attracts
Bats
Bees
Butterflies
Frogs
Hummingbirds
Moths
Pollinators
Predatory Insects
Reptiles
Small Mammals
Songbirds
Specialized Bees
Illicium 'Scorpio' Bark
Illicium 'Scorpio': Bark Color
Dark Brown
Dark Gray
Light Brown
Light Gray
Illicium 'Scorpio': Surface/Attachment
Bumpy
Exfoliating
Fissured
Furrowed
Lenticels
Papery
Patchy
Peeling
Ridges
Scaly
Shaggy
Shiny
Shredding
Smooth
Spongy
