Exciting news!

For those who have been following along as we've shared updates about our Franklin tree - when we arrived at the William Root House this morning we discovered that it is currently in bloom! Native to the Altamaha River valley in Georgia, Franklin trees have been extinct in the wild since at least the 1840s. American botanist William Bartram first observed the tree growing in Georgia in 1765. The cause of its extinction in the wild is not known. Like all of the Franklin trees known to exist today, the tree growing at the Root House is descended directly from seeds collected by Bartram hundreds of years ago. We appreciate the Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County for taking such great care of our tree. These trees have a reputation among gardeners as being difficult to cultivate, especially in urban environments. If you are in the area, it's definitely worth stopping by the museum to see! @mastergardenerscobbcounty