Variegated Gardenia. This is absolutely one of the most spectacular variegated plants on the market. Actually, I would plant it more for its foliage than for its flower. Even when it flowers with its single white flowers, they are barely visible against the striking, cream-white variegated foliage. White, cream, light green and dark green all in the same leaf. Unreal! We have had this plant to 11°F with no damage at all in the shade, but in Raleigh, it was killed back to the ground at 0°F. Professor Fred Thode at Clemson always admonished his students that we should site Gardenias in the landscape so that they don't get early morning sun. This is because when they are heavily frozen on a cold winter morning, if sun immediately strikes them, it appears that they are thawed so rapidly, that it causes a rupturing of the cells of the leaf. Whether or not this is what actually happens, it is very obvious that there is far more cold damage on gardenias here when they are planted on an eastern exposure. When planted on the north or westerly side of a structure, even though it is colder, there is far less cold damage, because the plants tissue has already thawed by the time the sun strikes them. Thus, if one is trying to grow Gardenias out of their "range," one should take this into consideration. As with all Gardenias, one needs to keep eyes open for the ubiquitous white flies which have Gardenias as their filet mignon. The "honey dew" that the white flies secrete forms the perfect food for sooty mold, which can quickly render a plant unsightly. We have found that worm castings are by far the best control for this little pest. It is not only a natural control, but it also enriches the soil as well.
Zones 8-9
