Compared to the common gardenia (gardenia jasmoides) I would say that the flowers are somewhat less fragrant. The habit is overall much l...Read Morearger and not as dense. The large glossy oval leaves are very beautiful. The plant however languishes in Upstate NY winters without supplemental lighting, even in a southern exposure window. Many of the leaves drop in January and February and do not come back until April. Outside the flowers are easily destroyed by rain and last no longer than a couple of days. Overall I would not recommend this plant outside of the tropics or subtropics unless you are willing to coddle it in the winter, especially since there are other gardenias that smell more intensely, tolerant a wider range of conditions and are more compact.
I purchased some seed from eBay. The seeds are small - about the size of a pin head. I have have the best results propagating the seed la...Read Morete spring, by using small pots filled with rich potting mix and with a thin layer of new coconut choir on top. Moistening the potting mix, I placed a few seeds on top using a moist toothpick, then lightly sprayed the top with water. I then placed the small pots in a clear plastic closed container (to keep the humidity up) near a window that gets an hour or so of direct sun. Seeds sprouted in a few days. The tiny sprouts shoot up quickly but then took several weeks before the second set of tiny leaves appear. I lost one by giving it too much direct sunlight (6 hours) at the two leaf stage. I'd say about 1 hours of direct sun and moistened soil is ideal until they get to a decent size. The seeds can be attached by fungus, so the sterile choir adds a layer of protection, as does a environment with fast germination.
I read on the internet that the male plants have more flowers, and typically plants are propagated by cuttings of these plants rather than from seed (that may take 3 years to flower), as it will be guaranteed to be a male, and will flower sooner.
Here in Kona our plant has reached 15 to 18 feet planted in full sun. It was languishing in a mostly shady spot until transplanted sever...Read Moreal years ago. It gets fertilized occasionally and gets no other special care. We live next to pasture land not too far from where there once was a stream so we are fortunate to have soil that is deeper than many places in Kona.
If you love jasmines and gardenias, and you do not own this plant, get it! I mean, get the double! I think it is even more exciting than ...Read Morethe Duke of Tuscany Sambac. Really. The flowers are massive and the leaves are leathery, healthy, and darkish green. Large plants can be expensive, but this is a once-in-a-lifetime plant to own. Mine went for 85 bucks, but is is huge...oh, I live in Puerto Rico and has anyone had luck with clippings?
Also, in the market for trades of rare, scented plant rooted clippings and seeds...
Rancho Mirage, CA (Zone 10a) | October 2012 | positive
I purchased a 6" rooted Tiare' 14 months ago (8/11). I have been told that it would not grow in the SoCal desert. Well...it is now 3' tal...Read Morel and 5' wide. At one time, it had 81 buds! Some of my pictures are in the gallery.
Ladiebug1982- Spring, TX
I ordered this plant about a month ago from Amazon.com. It came potted and ready to be put it in the grou...Read Morend. Although the flowers have not yet bloomed, they are sprouting very nicely. Soon our garden will have some beautiful color. I am anxiously waiting for the first flower!
Tahitian Gardenia is also known as the Tiare Flower. It is a very highly coveted flower in Tahiti, where it plays many roles.. ...Read More />
The Tiare flower is the emblem of Tahiti and is believed to relieve migraines and earaches, cure some forms of eczema and even heal wounds.
When I first flew to Tahiti, the stewardess walked through the plane with a bowl of closed Tiare buds and handed them out to the passengers. They are worn tucked behind the ear, and similar to Hawaiian customs, there are different "meanings" attached to which ear you use and which direction you place it.
Tiare Flowers are also used to make leis, and I'll tell you: a full lei made of Tahitian Gardenia is a heavenly scent like no other.
Tiare Flower is also one of the biggest exports from Tahiti and the Society islands- Monoi de Tahiti produces oils derived from coconut and scented with a real Tahitian gardenia flower in each bottle. This oil smells wonderful and is widely available by mailorder on the internet. It smells much like a real Tiare flower, however the real thing up close has no rival!
The Monoi company handpicks the Tiare flowers to place in the bottles from their vast groves of Gardenia taitensis.
All that being said, Tahitian Gardenia can also be grown in the States, and is not nearly as difficult to grow as I thought it would be, in fact, it has been VERY GOOD to me here in Melbourne Beach, Florida (Zone 9b)
In colder climates, it can be brought indoors for the winter.
First, I gave my Tahitian Gardenia a southern exposure, planted against the south side of the house, to minimize wind stress and maximize sun and heat retention in the winter.
During the warm months, I give it organic fertilizer such as Black Kow along with a balance time-release like 13-10-13 along with Ironite to keep the soil more acidic. (gardenias like acid soil) I also use a nice layer of mulch to keep the soil moist.
Starting in spring it will do most of its growing.. although it is really a slow grower. After two years, my plant is now about 3 feet tall. It can get leggy, so at the beginning of spring, I hand prune it to help it stay bushy. It will take all season to fill in.
I always try to root the cuttings.. although I have had bad luck so far, but I'm still working on it.
As soon as it warms, the flowers will start to pop up. During the warmest months, between my three plants, I wake to find anywhere from 2-10 new flowers a day! I can fill up a small bowl with these flowers, add a little water, and keep them inside to fill the whole house with the scent of Tahiti. Heavenly! (see picture)
Oftentimes, I will pick flowers in the early part of the day, just to find more blooms at sunset. I think the picking off of older and dead blooms stimulates more to be produced, so I always go over the plant cleaning it of older flowers.
When the cold season approaches, the plant will go more or less dormant. This year I sprayed it with WILT-PRUF to help guard it against cold drying winds, and it has worked wonderfully. It is mid January now and I'm still seeing flowers from time to time! The leaves have also maintained a dark green glossy look.. much better than last year, where many leaves turned yellow and fell off. Last year I covered it for jan/feb and that may have had a role.. this year so far we saw 31 degrees one night with no ill effects. Not to mention two Category 3 hurricanes in a row in 2004.. they took a little beating then, but have pulled through just fine.
A couple notes: Young plants may need to be staked as they grow bigger, until they can support themselves.
During the active growth season during the spring/summer, alot of leaves will yellow and fall off. This is normal and they will be replaced with new growth.
All in all, I think Gardenia taitensis is a tougher plant than most people would think. I highly recommend it, and definitely suggest giving it a shot no matter what climate you live in.. just bring it inside if you will be seeing alot of weather in the 30's, and give it a sunny location near a window. No matter what hoops you may have to jump through, a Tiare plant is WORTH IT!
Compared to the common gardenia (gardenia jasmoides) I would say that the flowers are somewhat less fragrant. The habit is overall much l...Read More
I purchased some seed from eBay. The seeds are small - about the size of a pin head. I have have the best results propagating the seed la...Read More
Here in Kona our plant has reached 15 to 18 feet planted in full sun. It was languishing in a mostly shady spot until transplanted sever...Read More
If you love jasmines and gardenias, and you do not own this plant, get it! I mean, get the double! I think it is even more exciting than ...Read More
I purchased a 6" rooted Tiare' 14 months ago (8/11). I have been told that it would not grow in the SoCal desert. Well...it is now 3' tal...Read More
Ladiebug1982- Spring, TX
I ordered this plant about a month ago from Amazon.com. It came potted and ready to be put it in the grou...Read More
Tahitian Gardenia is also known as the Tiare Flower. It is a very highly coveted flower in Tahiti, where it plays many roles..
...Read More