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Franklinia

Franklinia alatamaha 

Franklinia
Franklinia_PH.png
The Franklinia alatamaha is the most famous of Bartram’s botanical discoveries. This rare and unusual tree is now extinct in the wild. Courtesy of Natural History Museum, London.
The Franklinia alatamaha is the most famous of Bartram’s botanical discoveries. This rare and unusual tree is now extinct in the wild. Courtesy of Natural History Museum, London.

Transcript

Franklinia

 

The father-son duo John and William Bartram first encountered this species on October 1st, 1765 while crossing the Altamaha River in southeast Georgia. 

 

They named it Franklinia in honor of John’s friend Benjamin Franklin.

 

The plant is extinct in the wild, so the ones available, including this one, are thought to have originated from seeds collected by William.

 

Bartram’s watercolor of the tree is one of his most famous and captures the beauty and essence of its bloom.

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