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| "Our landscapes
and our way of life are defined by pavement and our desire to drive in individual
cars on it. Don’t think so? Try, for just one day, to eliminate using
your personal automobile to go about doing the rituals of your daily routine.
...." - Read more from Mike's Blog |
October:
Franklinia alatamaha –
Franklinia, Franklin tree
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on image above to enlarge |
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on image above to enlarge
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Is
there a woody plant that impresses more in late summer/fall in the northeastern
United States than Franklinia alatamaha, the Franklinia or Franklin
tree?
The fragrant white, 5-petaled, cup shaped flowers with yellow stamens
appear in the dead of the summer -- late July/early August -- bearing
proudly above its glossy green foliage when few flowers dare to bloom.
Flowering sporadically into September and October, its real show occurs in October when the shiny dark green leaves turn spectacular shades of orange and red, persisting well into November.
This finicky small tree or multi-stem shrub can be difficult to establish so be sure to plant container ground specimens in well-drained, acid, yet moist soil (some say treat as one would a rhody) for best results.
Don’t be surprised if winter dieback stunts its growth for several seasons before it ‘takes hold.’
Once established, Franklinia can range in size from 10-20’ tall, nearly as wide. Similar in habit to Magnolia virginiana, it tolerates light shade but blooms best in full sun.
Give
it a prominent place in the landscape, as a specimen or as an accent
in the back of a border.
Winter
interest is provided by smooth gray, attractive bark with occasional
irregular vertical fissures, and 5 –valved capsule fruits that
persist all winter long. A legendary native, discovered by John Bartram
in 1770, it hasn’t been found ‘in the wild’ since
1790. Therefore, all plants in cultivation are from Bartram’s
plants: a true heirloom plant! Hardy zones 5-8.
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