The Bartram Franklinia Census
Please note this article was published in February of 1999. The census deadline has now gone by. Please also note that this article is not in any way affilliated with either the census or the Historic Bartram Garden. If you wish follow up information on the results of the census or updates on their activities, please contact them directly: Historic Bartram's Garden, 54th St. and Lindbergh Blvd., Philadelphia, PA 19143. Thank you!
John and William Bartram collected some seeds many years ago and named the resulting gem of a tree Franklinia alatamaha after their friend Benjamin Franklin and the Altamaha River. And yes, they are truly spelled differently for reasons which escape me!
It is a rare and distinguished plant, a small native tree favored by gardeners who appreciate the exquisite and don't mind braving conflicting advice on caring for a newly acquired garden treasure. If you have one, you already know about its fragrant and pristine white blooms in the heat of August, the lovely fall foliage and the characteristic branching pattern often described as similar to that of a candelabra.
If you don't have a Franklin Tree now, you'll probably want one just as soon as you see it! (For a hint of the allure, check out the new postage stamp design "John and William Bartram".)
Not only is this tree somewhat unusual in the trade, but it is also no longer found in the wild for reasons open to speculation. (The lore is unclear as to what happened, and Michael Dirr refers to one rumored to have been seen as recently as 1803, but that is unconfirmed.) This being the case, if you happen to have one in your garden, Bartram's Historic Garden in Philadelphia would dearly like to know about it!
This little tree has a history steeped in lore, beginning with its namesake Benjamin Franklin and its discovery in Georgia in 1765 by John Bartram and his son William. John and his two sons made a trio larger than life in the early plant world: King's Botanist, Naturalist and Nurseryman.
John Bartram was King George III's royal botanist in America so any discussion of colonial era plants quickly involves the Bartram name. The story can be confusing since John Bartram's son John also figures strongly in our early garden history because he (along with his wife and brother) ran the first plant nursery in the country (Thomas Jefferson shopped there for Monticello) and printed a a now invaluable catalog (Bartram's Garden Catalogue of North American Plants, 1783). Meanwhile his brother William who co-discovered the Franklin Tree is well known and perhaps far better known in his own right as an itinerant naturalist or spiritual naturalist and inspiration to the Romantic poets. He also corresponded often with Thomas Jefferson, thus assuring his place in the annals of American horticulture.
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