There are some websites from Florida with massive lists of chili thrips susceptibility. You do know that roses are on those lists?

I couldn’t find anything specific, lately it feels like Google hides info from me.

I live in Houston so already have chili thrips but they’re under control. I’m trying to make sure I don’t buy infected plants and make my problems worse

how close are gardenias to camellias?

lsu has a list

Thank you for the link! I don’t think they’re related but I’m not sure

Thank you Jeri!

Gardenias did not work here.

Sheila, if they don't work THERE, and they don't work HERE, I can't imagine where they would work.

Jeri, I think the SE US might work. Maybe Dianela could grow them.

We had a beautiful hedge of gardenias along one side of our house in Sacramento. When our window was open at night, the fragrance would drift into our room. I loved it! But I think we had fairly alkaline soil there as my hydrangea was quite pink and not blue unless I dumped lots of acid on and then it turned lavender. I never fertilized my gardenias with anything special and they did well as long as they got plenty of water.

They grow in the South. Apparently they grow here in Little Rock, where we have acidic clay, hot summers, and high humidity. We are kind of marginal for them as a zone (7b) -- I think they probably do better in Louisiana.

Gardenias are great here in N FL. I also grew them in S Louisiana. Similar climates but different soil but each place a little acidic.

I also have a Double Tahitian Gardenia in a pot. They really love being in pots unlike the regular hardier varieties. The flowers are double & easily 5 inches. They bloom more and are very fragrant. Lowes and Home Depot sell them as standards sometimes. In a pot, you can control acidity more. I have mine in regular Miracle Grow mixed with another potting soil called Jungle Growth (but you could substitute something like Fox Farms etc) and extra perlite added for drainage. I also mixed in a little bit of Pine Fines. They need really good drainage. The Tahitian Gardenia doesn't seem to need to be kept quite as moist as other varieties. In a desert climate, I would give it a little afternoon shade. In a humid climate it likes full sun. I haven't heard of Chili Thrips bothering Gardenias from my S FL friends. I don't have Chili Thrips up here yet. The people I know who can grow them in S FL have them in either containers or in very amended raised beds.

Double Tahitian Gardenia

This Gardenia was here when we moved to our new farm. Its right off the back deck and tgere is a bunch of white butterfly ginger (hedychium) right next to it. They glow in the evening light and it smells so good when we are sitting out there. I always dump my coffee grounds on it every morning. Theres a blue hydrangea that gets some grounds daily as well.

We have a serious chili thrips problem on our roses, but I've not noticed any damage to the gardenias. I can't promise they are not attacked at all, but at least they don't seem to do significant damage. Gardenias do wonderfully well here, with virtually no care. They love the sandy, inherently acidic soil. (Lakeland Florida)

That's good to know about the Chili Thrips, Dr Manners! I am up in the center of the Panhandle. I haven't seen the Chili Thrips but I am sure they will be coming, along with the Cuban Treefrogs! I am trying to give habitat to as many green tree frogs as possible until the CTGs come up here and eat them all lol. While I haven't seen anything specific about American Green Treefrogs and squirrel Tree Frogs eating thrips, in the 14 yrs I lived in the Jax area, growing roses, the regular thrips would show up and then the tree frogs right out of hibernation. The thrips would be gone a week or two after that. Either they were eaten or chaesed off lol. My hypothesis..

Its funny how people think stuff wont grow in FL sandy soil but then you see all these lush monsterous plants everywhere. A lot of tropicals/subtropicals seem to like a lot of water just kinda running by their roots and thats what the sand, decomposing leaves, pine needles etc gives them, along with Florida's climate.