Franklinia alatamaha – Franklinia alatamaha

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Franklinia alatamaha – Franklinia alatamaha

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Franklinia alatamaha is a loosely branched, small, often multi-stemmed tree 3-6 m tall. At a young age, the tree grows narrowly upwards, but after some years the crown will widen. Very old trees develop a round crown, but this is rare in Europe. The tree has an open structure. The twigs are green to brown, the old bark is dark brown with shallow, lighter brown longitudinal grooves. The shiny dark green leaves turn intense orange to deep red for several weeks in autumn. The flowers appear in the leaf axils and twig tips and stand alone or in pairs. They are bowl-shaped and look somewhat like single-flowered Camellia or Stewartia. They are white with a distinctive orange-yellow heart of stamens. Flowering starts in late summer and early autumn. Franklinia is a warm-temperate plant and a warm, sunny summer is necessary for good flowering. The name Franklinia honours the American statesman and scientist Benjamin Franklin. The species name alatamaha is a reference to the Altamaha River in Georgia where this tree was first found around 1765. The tree was cultivated between 1770 and 1778, and Franklinia alatamaha was last found in the wild in 1790. It is generally believed that F. alatamaha is extinct in the wild. The tree likes moist but well-drained, humus-rich soil. Prefers to grow in acidic to neutral soil, in a warm, sunny location. Avoids calcareous soil.

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Specifications
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Height
3 – 6 m
Width
3-5m
Crown
irregularly oval
Bark and branches
twigs green to brown, bark dark-brown with light grooves
Leaf
obovate to elongated, 10-15 cm, glossy dark green
Autumn colour
yellow, orange, red
Flowers
single or in pairs, 7-8 cm tall, white with orange-yellow stamen center, August-October
Fruits
round capsules, brown
Spines/thorns
None
Toxicity
usually not toxic to people, (large) pets and livestock
Soil type
moist but well-drained soil
Paving
tolerates no paving
Winter hardiness zone
6a (-23,3 to -20,6 °C)
Wind resistance
Moderate, prevent cold, dry wind
Other resistances
resistant to frost (WH 1 - 6)
Fauna tree
valuable for bees (honey plant), valuable for butterflies
Application
small gardens
Origin
U.S. National Arboretum, Washington D.C., USA, 1997
Synonyms
Gordonia alatamaha
acid soil loamy soil peaty soil sandy soil tolerates no paving light-loving resistant to frost (WH 1 - 6) oval 3rd size, smaller than 6 metres open crown green white average growing Attractive autumn colour valuable for bees (honey plant) valuable for butterflies non-toxic (usually) Capricious growing
Frequently asked questions
Franklinia alatamaha

Franklinia alatamaha can eventually reach a height of 3 – 6 m, depending on the site and climate conditions.

Franklinia alatamaha is average growing and can eventually reach a height of 3 – 6 m, depending on the site and climate conditions.

The leaves of Franklinia alatamaha turn yellow, orange, red in autumn.

The right time to plant Franklinia alatamaha is during the dormancy period. In Western Europe, Franklinia alatamaha with root balls can generally be planted from mid-November to late April, although this depends strongly on the climatic conditions and the species of tree.

Franklinia alatamaha blooms in august, september, october.
General