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Franklinia
Franklinia is a genus with one species, the Franklin tree (Franklinia alatamaha), a small deciduous tree or large shrub grown for its camellia-like white flowers and bright fall color. It is extinct in the wild and survives only in cultivation, so the key to growing it is full sun, well-drained acidic soil, and keeping roots undisturbed.
Franklinia is a monotypic genus in the tea family, Theaceae. The sole species in this genus is a flowering tree, Franklinia alatamaha, commonly called Franklinias or the Franklin tree, and native to the Altamaha River valley in Georgia in the southeastern United States. It has been extinct in the wild since the early 19th century, but survives as a cultivated ornamental tree.
In the past, some botanists have included Franklinia within the related genus Gordonia. The southeastern North American species Gordonia lasianthus differs in having evergreen foliage, flowers with longer stems, winged seeds, and conical seed capsules. Franklinia was often known as Gordonia pubescens until the middle of the 20th century.
Franklinias are a desirable understory plant for their large Camellia-like flowers and bright fall color. However, it also requires a site in full sun to produce a good display of fall color and flowers. The Franklin tree has a reputation among gardeners for being difficult to cultivate, especially in urban environments. It prefers sandy, high-acid soil, and does not tolerate compacted clay soil, excessive moisture, or any disturbance to its roots. The Franklin tree has no known pests, but it is subject to root-rot and crown-rot caused by Phytophthora cinnamomi and does not endure drought well. It is commercially available for garden cultivation.
It is one of two species of trees in the tea family that only exists in cultivation, the other being Camellia amplexicaulis.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Franklinia by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
