Franklinia; Franklin Tree
 

Mature Size, Growth, Longevity

Average mature size of 10-20' tall and 6-15' wide. Medium growth rate.

Native Range

Once, the wilds of Georgia.

Flower and Fruit Details

Flowers are perfect, white, 5-petaled, yellow center of stamens, very striking, fragrant, blooming in July-early August and sometimes into September. Fruits are woody, 5-valved capsules, 0.5-0.75" in diameter, splitting into 10 segments - small but fairly interesting.

Leaf and Bark Features

Orange and red fall color. Bark is smooth, gray, broken by irregular vertical fissures. Trunks assume a slight fluted condition - a very attractive feature.

Culture and Care

Hard to transplant because of its sparsely fibrous root system, best to move as a small container specimen. Requires moist, acid, well-drained soil which with ample organic matter, and prefers full sun. Susceptible to wilt caused by Phytophthora cinnamoni, which is serious in propagating beds and container-grown plants.

Strengths, Weaknesses, Other Facts

Discovered by John Bartram in 1770 along the Altamaha River in Georgia, this plant has not been seen in the wild since 1790. All known specimens are derived from Bartram's original collection.

Taxa and Plants of this Species at BCA