Got a Franklinia...Wish me luck! Advice on care, anyone?

I found a 5 gallon 4-foot Franklinia at a local nursery for just $29.99. I have been wanting one for a long time. I read that it needs well-drained acidic soil. I had an eroded slope that over a couple of years I had built up with composted horse manure. It was an eyesore but now it is the best view I have in the springtime. I planted the Franklinia there and measured the pH; 6.2 once I backfilled it. I put old chopped oak leaves over it for mulch. Here is a photo of the site between the pink phlox you see on the ground and the fence (the red oak behind the fence was diseased and has been removed since last spring when I took this photo). The tree will get afternoon shade from a silver maple (twin trunks) uphill. It certainly is well-drained; I watered the hole for half an hour and still it didn't fill. Having read about this tree on DG I know it isn't the easiest to grow. So does anyone have any more sage advice? I really want it to live.

I haven't taken a pic of the tree yet but will once it breaks dormancy.

Some will insist it needs acid soil, which you've got. Others will insist Franklinia must never dry out, which (based only on my one year of successful growing) I am not totally convinced of yet. Fearing poor drainage and root rots more than anything else, I let my tree get pretty dry, and it made it through its first full summer--which was pretty hot and dry--with only a few light waterings.

All that said, the two best horticulturists I know, DG's own Versatile Vesico (aka-Viburnum Valley) and my friend Pete, both have been heard to sermonize repeatedly the "must never dry out" dogma. They could be right and I just got lucky. Certainly, with as good as the drainage on your site must be, regular irrigation wouldn't hurt a thing.

Scott

Take a look at this site: http://www.bartramsgarden.org/franklinia/how_to_grow.html
My own observations are that it doesn't like to be "out in the open" or under heavy canopy. The best one locally is surrounded by other Rhodies which seem to break winter winds and keep the soil moist during summer. Seems to benefit by an organic leaf mulch.

Those that have failed at growing this special plant need to chill out and be nonchalant.

I've decided that Franklinia can sense fear.

Well, I failed, but it was the tree that got chilled out and not me. I guess Franklinia does not like MN winters. My seed-grown "tree" did survive for two years before it "went West". Stupid, touchy, no-good, not-hardy tree... ornamental my @ss. (:o)
Mike

I live pretty close to where Franklinia's came from. I should try growing one of these.

Thanks for everyone's input. It is a good healthy tree now and that is a plus (I once ordered through the mail, from a not-too reputable company and got a 14 inch stick with a bit of fringe for roots). It is visible through my back window so I will be able to keep a close eye on it. And it is with other plants that get regular water. It doesn't look like I have made any mistakes so far, so I will keep my fingers crossed.

Well I would like to hear from other northern Franklinia growers too. I have one that is about 3' tall that I got a few years back when I was at Styer's Nursery in PA, a bargain plant for 19.99. I took it home with me and plunked in my 'wannabe' woodland garden at the old place. It stayed there 2 years, didn't die, but after each winter leafed out from adventitial buds, not the terminal buds. Those last 2 winters there were pretty cold too, got down to -15F one year. I moved it to the new place, plunked it in the woods in moist rich soil though very shady. It leafed out last spring, again from adventital buds, and with a dose of hollytone, even grew a little. It held its green leaves last fall till the end of October when they just turned brown. I saw it with beautiful red and orange fall color when I bought it, but have never seen a lick of fall color since. I won't even mention blooms...

I suspect I need to move it, that it needs more sun. I do get the impression that it doesn't like temps as low as -15 but we don't have those very often. So where should I move it? I do have an eastern exposure, very bright shade with some AM sun, that I reserve for my 'push-the-envelope' plants (though it is already pretty crowded) , on a slope, and irrigated too -- even daily, if needed. Soil is acid sand, some loam, but pretty sandy overall.

Suggestions? Or is this just foolhardy...?