The Tingle Nursery Co., Pittsville, Md. 51 


The Rare Franklinia 
FRANKLINIA ALATAMAHA — GORDONIA ALATAMAHA 
This exquisite fall flowering tree was brought in 1777 
from the banks of the Alatamaha River in Georgia to Bar- 
tram’s garden at Philadelphia. John Bartram, recognizing 
its extraordinary beauty and value, named it in honor of 
his life-long, dear friend, Benjamin Franklin. 
The original grove of Franklin trees was again visited in 
1790, but from that day to this no one has seen these trees 
growing in the wild though many expeditions have searched 
the banks of the Alatamaha for it. 
Franklin's tree is rarely beautiful in detail and marvelous in 
landscape effect besides blooming at a season when few 
shrubs or trees are in flower. 
The slender trunk and graceful branches are so muscular 
and sinewy in appearance that one almost expects motion as 
under a greyhound’s satin skin. The bark is smooth and dark 
gray, with wavering lengthwise markings of lighter color. 
Each twig develops at its tip a cluster of buds of graduated 
size, like overgrown greenish pearls. Early in August the 
largest of these attain the size of marbles. Then the guard 
petal folds back, still retaining its firm spherical form. From 
its shelter emerge four other petals, satiny, snowy white, elab- 
orately frilled and pleated. The snowy, frilly chalice, three 
inches in diameter, holds a sumptuous mass of orange gold 
stamens and breathes forth a delicate, balmy fragrance. 
Each flower lasts two or three days and then drops cleanly. 
There is a constant succession of bloom till hard frost. We 
frequently get the unusual effect of a tree clad in crimson 
autumn foliage and abundantly starred with white flowers. 
The Franklinia begins blooming when not more than three 
or four feet high. Young trees under favorable conditions in- 
crease in height a foot or more each season. Specimens thirty 
feet high are known. It develops naturally with several trunks, 
but may easily be trained to a single trunk by remov- 
ing sprouts which start from base. 
Franklinia prefers full sun and has proven entirely hardy a- 
bout New York and 
hardy in favorable 
locations about Bos- 
ton. It is an espec- 
ially desirable tree 
for the small inti- 
mate garden, loved 
and lived in. It is a 
charming lawn tree 
and the grass may 
be allowed to grow 
‘closely about its 
trunk. It also thrives 
when planted by 
pools,. lakes and 
streams. Its light 
elegance of form and 
color contrasts ex- 
quisitely with the 
dark green of coni- 
fers. 
Low prices, as 
follows: 
12 to 18 in. $1.00 each, 3 for $2.50; 18 to 24 in. $1.50, 3 for 
$3.75; 2 to 3 ft. $2.25 each, 3 for $6.00; 3 to 4 ft. $3.00 each. 

