I TOO PURCHASED A TREE LIKE THAT FROM LOWE'S FOR 19.99 IT IS CALLED A GARDENIA AUGUSTA OR A MIAMI SUPREME GARDENIA.
IT STATES THAT IT WILL BLOOM ABUDANTLY PRODUCING LARGE DOUBLE FLOWERS WINTER THROUGH SPRING, AND OCCASSIONALLY THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE TEAR. IT WITHSTANDS TEMPS. DOWN TO 20 DEGREES AND PREFERS RICH, ORGANIC SOILS ON THE ACIDIC SIDE. FERTILIZE EVERY 3-4 WEEKS FOR ACID-LOVING PLANTS. WILL BLOOM INDOORS IN HIGH LIGHT. OUTSIDE IT PREFERS A SUNNY LOCATION AWAY FROOM DIRECT AFTERNOON SUN. MINE SMELLS LOVELY ON MY DECK NXT TO MY DOOR AND THE BOOLMS ARE SPCTACULAR.....
MICHELLE IN SAN ANTONIO, TX.

I saw a huge tree plant of gardenia family which was over 12 feet tall in Nuccio's nurseries at Altadena,Ca. Most people would not recognize the plant to be part of Gardenis family.The plant origin is from South Africa.

I also saw a gardenia tree in Taiwan. It produced thousands of small single flowers and the typical gardenia fragrance was overflowing from brick fence yard to the street.This small gardenia tree must be hundreds of year old. It measured about 7 to 8 inches in diameter, 10 to 12 feet tall. I am afrid that the tree might be already lost to yield ground for high rise construction.