Re: Gardenia thunbergia

Rachel Walker wrote:
> 
> Tim Longville wrote:
> >
> > Someone's recently convinced me to try this in the UK - 'should be
> > perfectly hardy in a warm shady corner in a sheltered seaside garden'
> > - not that I've tried my poor wee plant (all of a foot high) in the
> > inhospitable great outdoors as yet. Now, Dave, tell us that it grows
> > to be a tree in Torquay and flowers 12 months of the year?!
> >
> > Tim Longville
> Dear Tim
> I grew some of these from seed a three or four years ago and planted
> three out against an east facing wall (this is the warmest position in
> these parts as it faces the Mediterranean which is about 40 miles away).
> They were all killed more or less outright in a normal winter here. To
> give some idea of what this means climatically; there are two plants of
> Plumbago capensis on the same wall, in some winters the woody framework
> survives and in others they are killed to the ground but always regrow
> vigorously in the spring. I have two left in pots which are over
> wintered in the garage and I think I will stick to this! Incidentally I
> have yet to see any flowers after four years, I have been told on good
> authority that they should flower at five years of age.
Hi
My NZ references indicate this species as less hardy than the common
Gardenia (G augusta). augusta's preferred range is given as zones 10-11
and G thunbergia's as 11-12. This difference is born out by the fact
that G augusta is commonly planted in warm parts of this country while G
thunbergia is quite rare and much better known in Australia which is
mostly warmer than us.

Moira
-- 
Tony & Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz>
Wainuiomata, 
New Zealand (astride the "Ring of Fire" in the SW Pacific).
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