Franklinia alatamaha

COMMON NAME: Franklin tree; Franklinia

FAMILY: Tea Family; Theaceae

GROWTH HABIT: Small multi-trunked tree or shrub.

FOLIAGE: Simple, alternate; deciduous. Bright, lustrous green above, pubescent below. Obovate-oblong, on a short petiole, Remotely toothed. Scarlet color in autumn.

BUDS: Terminal - elongated,

BARK: Smooth, gray, broken by irregular vertical fissures; trunks assume a sightly fluted condition.

FLOWERS: Mid to late summer and early fall. Cup-shaped, creamy, with bright yellow centers about 6 inches in diameter.

FRUIT: Woody, 5-valved capsule, 3/5 to 4/5" in diameter, splitting into 10 segments.

NATURAL HISTORY: The Franklin tree is named for the statesman, Benjamin Franklin. Discovered in 1765 near Ft. Barrington, McIntosh Co., Ga., on the Altamaha River by John and William Bartram.

NATIVE HABITAT: Native to Georgia, the mysterious Franklin tree has not been found growing in its natural habitat since 1790 and is believed, by many, to be extinct in the wild.