John and William Bartram discovered this tree in Georgia in 1765. William placed it in the new genus Franklinia, which he named after his father's friend Benjamin Franklin. Franklinia alatamaha is the only species in the genus.
Franklinia is extinct in the wild. Each tree that exists today has descended from seeds collected by Bartram.
Franklin trees bloom in late summer/early fall. The flowers have white petals and orange stamens. Here's an article with more info.
the camperdown and the franklinia: it's fascinating to think of all examples descending from one tree or one collection of seeds.
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