Source: Wilson Bros. Gardens (GA)
Size shipped: #3 pot (measured 3' tall, 2.5' wide!)
Planted: In ground, May 2020
First flowering: Probably at the nursery
(This plant stayed behind when I moved in 2021; therefore, the following text will receive no further updates.)
I had forgotten how big plants in #3 pots could be. What a pleasant surprise.
The roots weren't horrible, but I had a much easier time loosening substrate from the bottom of the root ball than from the sides. It's now sitting in back of our garage, between the two garage windows on that side of the house, where I expect it will receive mostly shade from the red maples overhead and the neighbours' oak. It should be the closest plant I plant to the downspout on that corner of the house, and that general area tends to look a bit wetter than others when it rains; I am fairly confident that the anise can handle it, considering UFL says it will grow in clay and Sunset says it needs "ample water".
As it turned out, this anise tree seemed to need more water on a continuing basis (so, even after the establishment period) than any of my other plants in 2020. Seeing its leaves not drooping to some degree was a rare sight. That winter, it proceeded to lose basically all of its foliage, meaning it isn't in fact evergreen in our climate (and the winter was pretty mild in terms of temperature too), which no one had warned me about. This despite Dirr's claims of USDA zone 6 hardiness. It did start growing back in late spring of 2021, albeit quite slowly.