PlantFiles: Franklinia Tree
Franklinia alatamaha

There is a Franklinia tree growing at Biltmore Estate in Asheville NC. The Fall color is an amazing orange, and the bark pattern is like no other! It is approximately 12 feet tall and planted amongst other larger trees.

This facinating tree was first discovered by Bartram in 1765 and was last seen in the wild in 1790. Despite its southeastern location, the tree appears to grow better in cooler climes. It is theorized that glaciation eradicated the tree from almost all of its original range, leaving only a remnant growing in its southernmost portion along the Altamaha River. It is one of the few trees that flower in the fall.

I have had this tree in my yard for nearly twenty years and it has thrived even though it is not listed for zone 5. It is planted close to my front porch so it is protected. The Franklinia is one of my favorite trees. When we bought it at the nursery no one knew anything about this tree and it looked like it was dead (it doesn't leaf until after the other trees).

I was reading about this species. I saw it listed among the most endangered species in Texas. It naturally has a low rate of germination from seeds, and propagation by stem cuttings is always a failure... So bad, I saw so many pictures of flowering individuals, the flowers are awesome!...

edit: I recently read an article where the authros were sucessful on hybridizing F. alatamaha with a chinese relative, Schima argentea, in an atempt to save the Franklinia´s genome, "stored" in a different plant until it can be used to effectively propagate Franklinia Trees.

Just a reminder, Franklinia is now known only in cultivation. Don't let this happen to your favorite plant!

The most famous discovery of American botanists John and William Bartram. The father and son explorers discovered a small grove of this unknown tree growing along the Altamaha River in Georgia in 1765. On a later trip, William gathered seeds to propagate at their Philadelphia garden. They named the tree Franklinia alatamaha in honor of John Bartram's great friend, Benjamin Franklin.

A multi-stemmed tree, the growth Rate is 10-20 feet in 20 years. Creamy white fragrant flowers bloom late July into September.

Dark green leaves turn orange and red in the fall, often in combination with a few late flowers. Subtly striped branches and persistent seed capsules add winter interest.