Nom vernaculaire
Franklin's Tree
Famille
Theaceae
A small tree extinct in the wild that owes its survival to a plant enthusiast named John Bartram who sowed it more than two centuries ago in his Philadelphia garden.
Classification
Trees and shrubs
Climat
Zone 8: from -12°C to -7°C
Couleur de feuille
Couleur de fleur
Exposition
Sheltered winds
Part shade
Hauteur minimum
300cm
Hauteur max
500cm
Encombrement min
100cm
Encombrement max
200cm
Type de sol
Acidic
General description
- Origin
- Named in honor of Benjamin Franklin and the Georgian Alatamaha River where it was discovered in October 1765. North America. (Alatamaha River valley, located in the state of Georgia
- Climate
- Able to withstand short frosts of around -15°C.
- Exposure
- Partial shade.
- Soil
- It likes well-drained, sandy, humus-rich, peaty and acidic soils.
- Growth
- Slow.
General physiology
- Dimensions
- Can reach 3 to 5m.
- Habit
- Small tree with a single, fairly short trunk topped by a more or less rounded pyramidal crown, or in a more bushy form, anchored on multiple trunks.
Leaves
- Shape
- Composed of large leaves arranged alternately.
- Colour
- Dark green, glossy, ending in red.
- Note
- Caduc.
Flowers
- Flowering time
- September to December.
- Shape
- Solitary, 8cm in diameter. Resemble those of a single-flowered camellia.
- Colour
- White with a yellow centre.
- Note
- Lightly scented, violet fragrance.
Fruits
- Shape
- woody and round capsules 2 cm in diameter. Each capsule is divided into 5 compartments, each containing 1 to 2 seeds.