×Schimlinia 'Schima Lina Ding Dong'

A modern “Ben Franklin” with year-round presence and late-summer perfume

Meet ‘Schima Lina Ding Dong’—a rare, intergeneric hybrid crafted to capture the romance of the lost Franklin tree while adding real-world garden durability. Bred by the Mountain Crop Improvement Lab (NC State), this selection marries Franklinia alatamaha (the legendary, once-Georgian native known for luminous white flowers) with Schima remotiserrata, a broadleaf evergreen from Asia in the tea family (Theaceae). The result is an elegant, broadleaf evergreen with fragrant white, camellia-like blooms in late summer, right when the garden needs a fresh highlight.

Why gardeners love it

• Late-season bloom, real fragrance. Clusters of pure-white flowers with golden stamens appear from late summer into early fall, drawing pollinator attention and human noses alike. Early trials of ×Schimlinia report heavy bud set and abundant bloom versus either parent.
• Evergreen structure. Glossy, deep-green foliage keeps the garden dressed year-round in mild climates; plants can be evergreen to semi-evergreen depending on winter severity.
• Bred for resilience. Franklinia’s beauty meets Schima’s adaptability—an intentional cross to improve vigor and cultural flexibility while preserving the classic white-flower look.

Design notes

Use as a specimen near paths, patios, or entries where the late-summer fragrance can be enjoyed up close. Its neat, upright framework and evergreen leaves make it a four-season anchor for mixed borders, white gardens, and collectors’ plantings. 

Backstory (for plant geeks & collectors)

×Schimlinia is the nothogenus name for Franklinia × Schima hybrids first achieved at NC State—documented as ×Schimlinia floribunda when using Schima argentea. ‘Schima Lina Ding Dong’ represents a newer cross that specifically uses Schima remotiserrata with Franklinia, keeping the refined look but with broadleaf evergreen character and late-summer fragrance.