Veitchii- Planting

Q: I have a ‘Veitchii’ gardenia that was given to me two Christmases ago. It has lived in the house since then, except for summering on the porch. It has done well, but it is a struggle in the winter to keep it happy, since all my heating vents are directly in front of my windows. Can this be planted outdoors in northwest Georgia?

A: ‘Vetchii’ is a compact gardenia that is often used as a container plant, in contrast to the larger shrubs ‘August Beauty’ and ‘Kleim’s Hardy’. Gardenia roots can survive 10 degree temperatures if they are mulched heavily but winter is pretty cold weather up there in Walker county.

My advice is to look around and see if you see any other landscape gardenias. If they look like they’ve been there for a while, your’s has a chance it will survive outdoors.

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