College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources

Plant Database

Franklinia alatamaha

Franklinia, Franklin Tree

Theaceae

Franklinia, Franklin TreeFranklinia, Franklin TreeFranklinia, Franklin TreeFranklinia, Franklin TreeFranklinia, Franklin TreeFranklinia, Franklin TreeFranklinia, Franklin TreeFranklinia, Franklin TreeFranklinia, Franklin Tree
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Habitat

  • native to southeastern United States
  • zone 5

Habit and Form

  • a small deciduous tree
  • 15' to 25' tall
  • almost as wide
  • rounded to conical dense crown
  • upright
  • medium texture
  • slow growth rate

Summer Foliage

  • alternate leaf arrangement
  • simple, deciduous leaves
  • oblong leaf shape
  • 4" to 8" long
  • serrate leaf margin
  • bright green leaf color

Autumn Foliage

  • orange-red fall color
  • showy

Flowers

  • white flowers
  • blooms in summer
  • fragrant
  • showy
  • 3" in diameter

Fruit

  • dry rounded fruit
  • up to 1" in diameter
  • not ornamentally important

Bark

  • branches low on trunk
  • white stripes along bark
  • greenish brown twigs
  • older bark is gray
  • winter interest

Culture

  • prefers well-drained, rich, acidic soil
  • needs moisture
  • partial sun to full

Landscape Use

  • specimen
  • patio tree
  • for fragrant flowers
  • good four season plant

Liabilities

  • root rot
  • needs extra watering

ID Features

  • pubescent, grayish terminal buds
  • alternate leaf arrangement
  • oblong leaf shape
  • serrated leaf margin
  • white flowers in summer

Propagation

  • by cuttings
  • by seed

Cultivars/Varieties

  • none

© Copyright Mark H. Brand, 1997-2015.

The digital materials (images and text) available from the UConn Plant Database are protected by copyright. Public use via the Internet for non-profit and educational purposes is permitted. Use of the materials for profit is prohibited.

Citation and Acknowledgements: University of Connecticut Plant Database, https://plantdatabase.uconn.edu/, Mark H. Brand, Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, Storrs, CT 06269-4067 USA.