Transvaal Gardenia

Gardenia volkensii

Native from Angola to KwaZulu-Natal

      You are bidding on * small bare root seedlings with vigorous root systems * inches tall with * leaves born and grown in Hawaii.

           The Transvaal Gardenia is usually a small, densely-branched deciduous tree. This species has fragrant white to yellow to orange blossoms. Livestock and large game browse the leaves, and the fruits are eaten by elephants, kudu, velvet monkeys and baboons.

            The fruits are grey-green round spheres, up to 6cm in diameter and 5cm long. They are longitudinally ribbed and covered in raised whitish dots. The thick-skinned fruit contains numerous seeds covered in a brown fruit pulp. These woody seed pods remain on the branches for a long time.

       This very curious shrub has fragrant white blossoms with wavy margins turning yellow with time, long narrow leaves. These showy flowers change color while maturing from ivory through golden yellow to orange-yellow. Fragrance is very strong. Flowers solitary at the ends of the branchlets. 
 The fragrant flowers are followed by ornamental globelike grey-green fruit with great interest.

    Fruits look like small coconuts! These fruits are soft-ball sized and harder than any coconut.

      Fruits are grayish to pale brown, ellipsoid to almost spherical with shallow ribs and often covered in small wart-like lenticels.

      Leaves sprout in whorls of three on short, rigid side branches, which look almost like blunt spines.

         The Transvaal Gardenia is an attractive semi-deciduous dense shrub or small tree. Its normal height in cultivation is 2-4 meters but it grows up to 8 meters in habitat. The bark on the older stem is pale grey and flakes off in patches, revealing light brown and greenish colors underneath.

The leaf arrangement is 3-whorled, clustered at the end of short rigid side branches.

       Young leaves are linear/oblong and the older leaf shape is broadly obviate. The leaves are a glossy dark green. Solitary fragrant white flowers, up to 10cm in diameter, covers the tree from late winter to early summer.

The whitish heartwood is fine-grained, hard and heavy.

Hardy in zones 9b-11.

           The Transvaal Gardenia is no stranger to gardens in South Africa, as it makes a stunning display when in full flowers. Its moderate growth and non-invasive root system makes it ideal for small gardens and it will do very well in a big pot. Makes a good Bonsai specimen.

        Livestock and game browse the leaves and the fruit are eaten by elephant, kudu, vervet monkeys and baboons. The fruits and roots are used in the treatment of a variety of ailments - asthma, infertility, earache, sore eyes, epilepsy, headache, etc. Some local people also believe that the tree offers protection from lightning.

         The initial growth rate is moderate but it does speed up slightly after its 3rd to 4th year. Young plants should be protected from frost for the first 2 to 3 years. The Transvaal Gardenia can withstand moderate drought but will grow best with regular watering, especially whilst young.

Flowering starts after about 4 years. 

          Polynesian Produce Stand           

  Shipping    

      We ship via USPS Mondays-Wednesday with Delivery confirmation.

            All live plants are Inspected By USDA Plant Inspectors before they are shipped to insure you get healthy pest free plants and seeds.

   All live plants are shipped bare-root wrapped in moist sphagnum moss to ensure the plant’s healthy transit to you.

ATTENTION INTERNATIONAL BIDDERS!

         We can ship live plants to the US only. All International shipments are at Buyer's Risk.

             INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING ON LIVE PLANTS is available only under these conditions! All international orders are shipped at the buyers risk  (shipped with or without documents) and no refunds or replacements are offered for Dead On Arrival, loss, confiscation, Customs Seizure, unanticipated charges, etc.

We ship Seeds Internationally.

         The additional charge for any phytosanitary certificate is not included in this offer.

              For foreign customers, please check your laws concerning permitting and customs, additional shipping and handling costs may apply.

   Payment

            We accept online payments only through PayPal, Cash payments are only acceptable for in-person payments and cash-on-delivery (COD). Cash payment can not be sent through the mail.

      Please only one Paypal payment. SO THE COMBINED SHIPPING RULE WILL CAN BE USED. Multiple paypal payments are NOT eligible for discounts.

        We will ship once a week - ON or BEFORE WEDNESDAYS, because of the special stamps needed to ship plants and cuttings to you.  This can only be done at the Dept. of Agriculture.  If payments are not met before that MONDAY, your items will be shipped the following week and lose the combined discount opportunity.

         Non-paying bidders may receive negative feedback and will be reported as an unpaid item to eBay.

COMBINED SHIPPING POLICY

INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING is not included in this offer.  

        We will combine shipping for auctions won on the same week paid with same paypal payment.

   This policy is good for all items bought and paid for in the week ending MONDAY.

Payment must be received within 7 days of the auction ending.

Combined Discounts Won Auctions

     For 2-3 winning auctions, the combined discount is 10% of the total Shipping and Handling charges. For 4-7 winning auctions, the combined discount is 20% of the total Shipping and Handling charges. For 7+ winning auctions, the combined discount is 30% of the total Shipping and Handling charges.

         As each order is packed and prepared separately you will pay the quoted S/H charges individually per item. If you buy the same species in that item it does calculate out the discount (i.e.: additional item $3.61). My stores' combined shipping is built in for same items rather than a varied selection. Includes postage, USDA certification and inspection, proper packing and delivery to Airport for prompt delivery. I can’t really change any of these. If you want one of this and one of that, it gets hard to discount much as each different species requires it's own prep & packing, then at USDA each has to be unwrapped and inspected then repacked. USDA requires me to clean and prepare every last piece before we drive them to the Inspection Station on the other side of the island. It takes my wife and I, a day to pack items and get ready to ship. The whole next day we drive around the island and get inspected (2-3 hours), then drive to the Airport Post Office to drop off. It takes the same work with the same type item if you can understand.

my dog Taz will fetch your email to me

If you are dissatisfied with the item, please contact me   

before leaving a negative or neutral comment.

I want you to be satisfied.

Mahalo iâ `oe no ke kipa `ana mai. E kipa mai hou!

Mahalo & Aloha!! 

Rare Palm Seeds

Fresh Highest Quality

         Seller warrants seed to be of the variety and quantity advertised. Safe delivery is guaranteed and seeds lost or damaged during shipment will be replaced at seller's expense. Claims must be made within 7 days of shipment. All other replacements, refunds, returns and exchanges will be made at the sole discretion of the seller.

  Seed is a live product which depends on many important related grower skills such as proper planting time, seed depth, type of soil, irrigation, proper use of fertilizers, weed controls, fungicides, insecticides, disease free soil, and reasonable weather conditions during the growing period. Germination is affected by such factors as temperature, moisture content, light intensity and contamination of planting media. These factors are totally out of the seller's control and are the buyer's responsibility and risk. Consequentially, the seller cannot unconditionally guarantee seed to perform properly regardless of conditions or the buyer's methods or mistakes.