Franklin Tree (pictured at right)

John and William Bartram discovered a small grove of this tree on the Altamaha Rive r in south Georgia in 1765.  On a later trip, William brought seeds from the same location back to the garden for propagation. It was named Franklinia alatamaha in honor of his father's great friend, Benjamin Franklin. The tree was last seen in the wild in 1803. All Franklinia growing today are descended from those propagated and distributed by the Bartrams, and they are credited with saving it from extinction. The exquisite Franklinia provides welcome late summer color in the garden, with creamy white fragrant flowers that bloom late July into September. The John Bartram Association is conducting the first ever Franklinia Census to learn where Franklinias are growing today.

Yellowwood (pictured at left)

One of the oldest trees in the Garden, this Yellowwood may have been collected in Tennessee or Kentucky by French plant explorer Andre Michaux and sent to William Bartram in the 1790s. The Yellowwood, or Cladrastis kentuckea, puts on a grand show every other spring, covering itself with cascades of white airy blossoms.

Gingko (pictured at right)

The male tree in the Bartram Garden is believed to be the last of three original gingkoes introduced to the United States from China, via London, in 1785. William Hamilton of "The Woodlands," a gentleman horticulturist, presented one of the original importations to his friend and neighbor William Bartram. The gingko, or Gingko biloba, is the only living species of a group of trees widely distributed in prehistoric times. They were grown in Chinese palace gardens as early as 2000 B.C.

Bartram Oak (not pictured)

John Bartram was the first to describe this rare but naturally occurring hybrid of the Red and Willow Oaks. He discovered a specimen known as Quercus heterophylla growing on his own farm.

TOUR SEQUENCE

*What You Will See - Home
*Bartram House
*Farm Buildings
*Archaeological Digs
*Historic Garden
*Meadow
*Wetland
*Cider Press
*River Trail
*Special Trees