Gordonia lasianthus (L) Ellis

Loblolly Bay likes wet feet. I found the large old grandfather trees standing in water at the Jacksonville Botanical Gardens. The trees were so tall that I was unable to see the structure well.

So I went searching for a small tree that could be planted. It was a beautiful little five foot tree in a large pot. It promised to have many years of productive life with these beautiful little white flowers. It hadn’t bloomed yet, so I had to go back and forth between the old trees in the botanical gardens and this little newby.

This tree will grow to sixty feet and should probably be planted more often than it is, especially along the St. John’s River.