Gordonia pubescens

Franklinia alatamaha is a small deciduous tree or large shrub growing 3 to 10 meters (10 to 33 ft) tall, but commonly 5–7 m (16–23 ft). The tree has a symmetrical, somewhat rounded shape. It frequently suckers and can have one to five trunks. The bark is gray with vertical white striations and has a ridged texture. Although difficult to transplant due to fibrous roots, once established, F. alatamaha can live a century or more. The leaves attach alternately to the twigs and are clustered towards their ends. They are typically 12–18 centimeters (5–7 in) long, but can sometimes reach a length of 25 cm (10 in). Leaf widths range from 5–9.5 cm (2–4 in), but usually less than 7 cm. The leaves are attached by leaf stems that normally blend into the leaf due to having 1 cm wide wings. Their shape varies from obovate to obtrullate, like a teardrop with the narrowest part towards the base or shaped like a classic mason's trowel but reversed with the narrowest part towards the base. The texture of the leaves is chartaceous, resembling paper or parchment, with an elevated midrib and prominent veins. In the summer their color is bright green, turning orange or red in the fall. The flowers are fairly large and striking, measuring 7–10 cm (3–4 in) across and somewhat cup shaped. …

Franklinias are a desirable understory plant for their large Camellia-like flowers and bright fall color. However, it also requires a site in full sun to produce a good display of fall color and flowers. The Franklin tree has a reputation among gardeners for being difficult to cultivate, especially in urban environments. It prefers sandy, high-acid soil, and does not tolerate compacted clay soil, excessive moisture, or any disturbance to its roots. The Franklin tree has no known pests, but it is subject to root-rot and crown-rot caused by Phytophthora cinnamomi and does not endure drought well. It is commercially available for garden cultivation. It is one of two species of trees in the tea family that only exists in cultivation, the other being Camellia amplexicaulis.

"No tree which ornaments our gardens has a more romantic history," begins a lengthy 1933 article published in The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography. The history of Franklinia's discovery in coastal Georgia, followed by disappearance in the wild, and saved only by its ability to grow, flower, and seed in the Philadelphia garden of its initial collector entail the main thread of the unusual botanical history.

Philadelphia botanists John and William Bartram first observed the tree growing along the Altamaha River near Fort Barrington in the British colony the Province of Georgia, around 15 miles (24 km) south of Louis LeConte's Botanical Gardens, in October 1765. John Bartram recorded "severall very curious shrubs" in his journal entry for October 1, 1765. William Bartram returned several times to the same location on the Altamaha during a collecting trip to the American South, funded by Dr. John Fothergill of London. William Bartram collected Franklinia seeds during this extended trip to the South from 1773 through 1776, a journey described in his book Bartram's Travels published in Philadelphia in 1791. …