They are evergreentrees, growing to 10–20 m tall. The bark is thick and deeply fissured. The leaves are alternately arranged, simple, serrated, thick, leathery, glossy, and 6–18 cm long. The flowers are large and conspicuous, 4–15 cm diameter, with 5 (occasionally 6-8) white petals; flowering is in late winter or early spring. The fruit is a dry five-valved capsule, with 1-4 seeds in each section.
The species are adapted to acidicsoils, and do not grow well on chalk or other calcium-rich soils. They also have a high rainfall requirement and will not tolerate drought.
Some botanists include Franklinia within Gordonia, even though recent phylogenetic studies show that Franklinia's closest living relationship is with the Asian genera Schima and not Gordonia;[1] it differs in being deciduous and flowering in late summer, not late winter. The draft Flora of China account of Theaceae in China splits Gordonia into two genera, with G. lasianthus retained in Gordonia, and the Asian species transferred to Polyspora; this treatment is not yet widely accepted.
Gordonia chrysandra may have anti-inflammatory medicinal properties.[2]
Several species of Gordonia are grown as ornamental plants for their flowers produced in winter when few other trees are in flower. They are however difficult to grow compared to the similar but generally smaller-growing camellias.
References
^Prince, L. M. and C. R. Parks. 2001. Phylogenetic relationships of Theaceae inferred from Chloroplast DNA sequence data. Am. J. Bot. 88: 2309-2320.
^CJ, Yang JZ, Shen ZF, Zhang DMFu HZ, Li.,"Potential Anti-inflammatory Constituents of the Stems of Gordonia chrysandra." J Nat Prod. 2011 Apr 7;
