Don't know if it matters now, since this reply is over a year later . . . . Whoever told you that Canangas can take temps in the upper 30's is probably correct for 95% of cananga trees. i.e., Only very large, mature trees can handle anything lower than that. I received a shipment of 12 very nice cananga seedlings last October,2006. 3 weeks ago, the temperature in Seattle dipped below 18F one evening, and of all the time for one of my heaters in greenhouse to become unplugged, this has to be the one. That morning, I checked the temperature in the greenhouse, and one side was 45F and the other 34.5F. Guess what side had the canangas? I cranked that heater as soon as I found out, and also the humidifier, but as of now, only one plant is surviving. There were 5 of them that were alost next to the operating heater, but the surviving one was the closest.

On the other hand, I have had reports from people in this forum, that several cananga trees in the Sarasota, FL area had been frosted over during one winter event, where they lost all of their leaves then, but recovered the following spring.

So, your informant was accurate when he gave you those numbers. If you have trees outside and they are not so acclimated yet, it would be wise to at least cover them with clear plastic of some kind (visqueen) and put a 100watt lightbulb near the base (don't let it tough any part of the plant)to give it some heat. That's what I do for my tropical fruit trees outside. I'm in Zone 8, and very rainy here, so the cover is almost critical. But you are in Zone 9, so maybe you may not need the lightbulb, because the heat from the sun will be trapped inside the cover. And if the ground area that is covered is large enough, and if its adjacent to the house, the captured heat may be enough to last the night.

Chong