STAFF FAVORITE ‘CHUCK HAYES’ GARDENIA
R.J. | Store Manager
Even though the gardenia is famed for its intoxicatingly sweet, fragrant flowers, the Chuck Hayes Gardenia is my favorite plant for a variety of reasons. First, it was developed right here in Virginia Beach by Mr. Chuck Hayes, at the Virginia Tech test site. It has superior performance and is more cold hardy and heat tolerant than other varieties.
‘Chuck Hayes’ features dark, leathery foliage and produces a ton of white, velvety, aromatic flowers. Slow growing to a mature size of approximately 4’ high and 4’ wide, a fully matured shrub can produce up to 50 blooms! It produces double blooms in the summer with another heavy re-bloom in the fall. It is the perfect choice when planted in borders, containers or just as a showy, single specimen in the landscape. It prefers well-drained, slightly acidic soil in full sun or partial shade. If you would like a hardy, gorgeous, fragrant bloomer that will take all the weather that Hampton Roads has to offer, than be sure to add some of these beauties to your landscape.
