THE FRANKLINIA STORY

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The exquisite Franklinia alatamaha tree, which boasts late summer blossoms, striking fall foliage, and an extraordinary history, is the most famous discovery of American botanists John and William Bartram. The father and son explorers discovered a small grove of this unknown tree 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. The tree was never seen in the wild after 1803, but fortunately, Franklinias still exist thanks to the Bartrams.  All Franklinias today are descended from those propagated and distributed by the Bartrams, who are credited with saving it from extinction. The Franklinia tree is gaining an increased popularity among gardeners enticed by its delicate beauty, marvelous story of survival and even perhaps its reputation as a challenge to grow!  Follow the links below to learn more about the fabulous Franklinia! FRANKLINIA LINKS *The Franklinia Story *Franklinia Census *Franklinia Census Results *Franklinia Census Form *How to Grow the Franklinia *Franklinia Retail Sources

LOOK!  Arnold Arboretum article, "Against All Odds: Growing Franklinia in Boston," by Peter Del Tredici CLICK for article in PDF format. This article was originally published in Arnoldia Volume 63, Number 4, 2005, a publication of the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University. The John Bartram Association is grateful to the Arnold Arboretum for allowing us to share this article.