Do a web search for "gardenia taitensis" and you'll find a bunch of places that sell it mail order -- I would avoid a place whose first name is Hawaiian for "hello" -- it has a reputation for low quality around here. I would also check with local nurseries in the phone book to see if they carry or can order it for you.

I grew one a couple of years ago; it gets big, but the leaves and flowers are undeniably pretty!

Jim

You may want to try the local nursery. I visit a few whenever I find the time. Ask if they would special order it for you. Good Luck.

Tahahamoui, I just ordered one online from Logee's.

Jimshy, do the flowers of 'taitensis' have the same scent as the more common varieties? I'm rather skeptical since I tried 'cornuta' and didn't care for the fragrance. It just wasn't the same. Something unpleasant in it. But I thought I'd give 'taitensis' a try.

I just got a nice and healthy starter plant (4" pot) from Gardino's. I can definitely vouch for their quaility. I think their website is www.rareflora.com

I got mine from a place that can't be mentioned here a while ago. Quite expensive but definitely worth it. The shrub is huge right now and have flowers almost year round in my tropical climate. As for the scent, although Tiare smell heavenly I was expecting it more "exotic". Unlike the heady tropical, creamy and sweet scent of common corsage gardenias or even Tuberoses, the Tiare fragrance is less sweeter with soapy "aldehydic" notes. It's just like the scent of the wild Gardenia "Gardenia thunbergia" or like the scent of "Moonflower" Ipomoea alba but stronger and definitely not the synthetic scent you smell in Tiare Monoi oil.

Thanks for the note about the fragrance, serinus. Mine arrived very healthy, but very rootbound. I broke up the rootball and potted it up into a larger pot. Can't wait for the first flowers. I've never smelled 'G. thunbergia' or 'Moonflower'. However, I just recently planted two Moonflower plants that I'd gotten to sprout from seed. Can't wait for those either.