Franklin Tree

Franklinia alatamaha

Franklin tree has one of the most remarkable stories in American botanical history. The species was discovered in 1765 by John and William Bartram along the Altamaha River in Georgia. By 1803, it was gone from the wild. extinct, never seen in nature again. Every Franklinia alive today descends from seeds the Bartrams collected before it vanished. Planting one is an act of botanical stewardship with no parallel. Five-petaled white flowers with brilliant yellow stamens open in late summer and fall, often alongside the blazing orange-red fall foliage. a combination that's simply beautiful. Fragrant, attractive to bees, and flowering at a time when most trees are done. This is the tree for the gardener who wants something genuinely rare, historically significant, and visually stunning all at once.