🌳Tree of the Month for August 2025

Howdy, Park goers! Welcome to the Tree of the Month series by Forestry Supervisor, Joseph Hart. Each month, our forestry team will spotlight a different species from Tower Grove Park’s arboretum.

For this month's Tree of the Month, we’re highlighting one of our more unique specimens: the Mountain Gordlinia (× Gordlinia grandiflora). Developed in 2003 by the Department of Horticultural Science at North Carolina State University, this intergeneric hybrid combines Gordonia lasianthus and Franklinia alatamaha.

This hybrid can grow as a shrub or small tree, reaching up to 30 feet tall and 15 feet wide. It showcases the best traits of both parent plants—growing more vigorously and producing larger flowers than either. The large, white blooms are showy, sweetly fragrant, and appear from July through September. The semi-evergreen foliage is dark, glossy green on top with a lighter underside, and older leaves transform into vibrant shades of red, orange, or plum in the fall.

This species is one of my favorites in our arboretum and truly deserves admiration. Its summer flowers provide a stunning floral display that attracts butterflies and other pollinators, while its unpredictable yet vibrant fall colors bring unique interest to the autumn landscape.

Currently, we have only one specimen in our arboretum, located near the intersection of Kingshighway Blvd. and Magnolia Ave. However, this summer, our forestry team successfully propagated this species—so keep an eye out for Mountain Gordlinia appearing in future planting designs throughout the Park!

Be sure to check it out on our interactive map using the ‘Tree Walk’ feature!