The American born botanist John Bartram discovered this unique understory tree in 1765 and named it in honor of Benjamin Franklin. The franklin tree (Franklinia alatamaha) was seen only along the bank of the Altamaha River in Georgia and today no longer exists in the wild. As the sightings of the Franklinia became more and…
The Aster family is full of wonderful, prolific plants. White wood aster (Eurybia divaricata) spreads abundantly and will self-sew easily. This divaricated, or widely spreading, perennial is happy to thrive in sun or shade. It stands at 1 to 2 feet tall with masses of small white flowers that bloom in September and October. White…
Cinnamon fern (Osmunda cinnamomea) is an interesting, colorful character and a favorite here at Jenkins. In early spring, its silver-haired shine erupts in tightly curled ‘fiddleheads’. As they continue to unfurl and mature, their white hairs turn cinnamon colored, and hummingbirds collect them to line their tiny nests. When fully mature, cinnamon fern’s fronds are…