Franklin Tree

Common Name: Franklin Tree
Scientific Name: Franklinia alatamaha
Family: Theaceae

Etymology: Franklinia comes from William Bartram who named it to honor Benjamin Franklin. Altamaha comes from the Altamaha River where it was first discovered.

Indigenous Uses

Unfortunately, it is unknown of any interactions indigenous communities might have had with the Franklin Tree, which was observed to only have a small population of wild specimens in Georgia before becoming extinct.

Medicinal Uses

It is unknown of any medicinal values of the Franklin Tree.

Edible Parts

Although not too much is terribly known about the edibility of the Franklin Tree, tea has been made with its leaves.

Gathering and Using

Leaves can be gathered from Spring to Fall for tea, with the best taste being achieved when they first go to leaf. Flowers can be collected in the late summer/early fall for decoration.

Permaculture Functions and Considerations

This is a small flowering tree rarely exceeding 25 feet in height. A perfect addition to the garden, it provides late season interest and a source of pollen and nectar for pollinators. It requires full sun. with some afternoon shade, and should not be planted in an exposed, windy location. Franklin trees are difficult to transplant, so care should be taken to ensure their planting location is correct.

How to Identify

Franklin tree boasts white flowers in summer with a very large yellow center. The flowers have 5 petals and are about 3 inches in size. They resemble magnolia flowers and bloom from mid/late summer to early fall. Leaves, which are green and glossy with a length of 5-6 inches, turn bright red in fall. Franklin tree can either be single trunked or a multi-stemmed shrub.

Additional Information

The Franklin tree has not been found in the wild in over two hundred years and is considered extinct in the wild. It is known as a glacial relic as it thrived when the Eastern Seaboard was once covered by a glacier.