I purchased my very first (of many) gardenias 15 years ago from a nursery specializing in fragrant plants that has since gone out of business. When I sold my townhouse, my son suggested we try to dig it up, wrap it, and put into the ground at the new place. I didn't think she'd survive that so I declined. Had I known the new owners would remove everything but the tree, I would've risked it. Here is one of the images I posted for what I was told was 'Shooting Star' Gardenia

When I saw this https://www.logees.com/hardy-g... in the Logees catalog a couple of months ago, I immediately bought it asking that it be held the 2 months and sent. There were plenty in stock at the time. A few weeks later I was going to add another to the order as a 'just in case' but it was showing out of stock. So relieved to have got it. Rec'd an email from Logees at the end of March stating Gardenia was unable to be sent. Follow-up email (after I asked) stating they lost that crop of Gardenias and don't know when/if they'll be back in stock

All of this to say...if anyone comes across one that looks like these shown - would you please let me know? I appreciate it.

This AM I saw gardenias @ Lowes @ Market St NE and tags claimed they were perennials.

Oh yes, Lisa...I troll Lowes on a regular basis and probably have most that are hardy to our zone but I've never seen 'mine' anywhere (guess I'll be looking now that you said they'vre got their gardenias in stock). There was only a handful of Gardenias back in the early 2000's that were hardy to 7A - pretty sure I had each of them but THIS one...she was my baby...so many flushes of blooms. The air would be filled with her fragrance!

I saw a gardenia at Lowe's yesterday too. Variety was daisy. They looked nice and healthy. I will keep an eye out for shooting star.

Awwe thank you Terri. According to Logees it's a species...hope I'm saying that right. I don't know that it necessarily goes by 'Shooting Star' but that's what it was named when I bought it. Single petaled that go to a point and space between...always reminded me of a star fish.

I used to buy all kinds from this store, the plants they sell are usually bigger so they survived. I do not have the plant, but the picture is different, maybe you can ask them if they will have the one you want. here is their address.
https://toptropicals.com/store...

I used to have this plant when I was in Indonesia. I purchased it once here but it died in Winter. Wonderful scent. The plant is not big, nice for a hedge.
Banana Shrub Magnolia Tree, Flowers Smell Like Banana, Exotic, Evergreen Beauty, (Classic Evergreen Shrub of The Old South)

https://www.thecolumbiastar.co...

Thank you, Francine! My experience with that store is different from yours and I swore I would never buy from them again, but I will go ahead and look and see what they have. Thank you for the suggestion.

Isn't it funny that different people have different experiences with nurseries? Nothing that I had ordered from Logee's survived, they were so small. My guess is NOT the seller, but I am just not good in planting so small plants, they do not survive with my way of caring----I had ordered so many kaffir lime plants from them, all of them died. Finally I purchase a huge one for quite expensive from a store in Eden Center, and it survived several YEARS, then it died---I forgot to water it,----even Selfwatering big pots needs additional water! Now that store is not there any longer, I hope later in Spring or Summer more people are coming from Florida selling their plants. My Jasmine is growing again, I am so glad, they survived the mice nibbling----but my sand ginger I think the mice ate the gingers, because I have not seen anything growing from that pot, the mice were digging deep there, lots of soil found next to the pot. I tried to put those sticky paper stuff between the pot with plant on top of a bigger tray. I think the mice were able to jump over the "Moat of sticky papers" onto the pot with the sand ginger.