Tahitian Gardenia: Heat and Humidity Lover!

Years ago, John Bagnasco gave me a Tahitian gardenia (Gardenia taitensis) and I potted it up in a container. Every late spring and late summer it would gamely bear buds, but they always opened up into brownish-beige shriveling and puny wannabes instead of their reputed 3" wide, creamy white, pinwheel-shaped blossoms. This month, while man, beast and most of my garden suffers from the heat and humidity vapors, the Tahitian gardenia has finally come into bloom perfection! Its heavenly-scented flowers are large, creamy white and make a stunning contrast to the glossy, dark green leaves. Although not native to Tahiti, it is one of the few cultivated plants endemic to the highland shores of the South pacific. Whatever its origins, I now know what makes it happiest: heat and humidity.