Gardenia, jasminoides - Plant Encyclopedia Results

Gorgeous, dark to bright green, opposite leaves on a shrub that can grow up to 6' with almost equal spread. Leaves are glossy and leathery. Mature shrubs usually look round, and have a medium texture. Blooms in mid-spring to early summer, over a fairly long season. Flowers are white, turning to creamy yellow as they age, and have a waxy feel. They have a powerful, sweet fragrance, and can perfume an entire room. Air currents waft the scent throughout the warm summer garden. Gardenias prefer acid, moist, well-drained soils. Use fertilizer for acid loving plants, and use iron compounds. Add plenty of organic matter, such as compost or ground bark, to as large an area as possible. Mulch plants instead of cultivating. A good time to feed gardenias is mid-March, using an acid plant food, fish emulsion or blood meal. Feed the shrubs again in late June to encourage extra flowers on everbloomers or faster growth of young shrubs. Do not fertilize gardenias in the fall. Doing so will stimulate tender growth, which may be killed if the temperature in winter drops below 15 degrees.

This plant is often seen labeled as Gardenia jasminoides which is now a synonym and no longer valid.

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Everblooming Gardenia. It is well known there is little to rival the fragrance of Gardenias, and this plant is no exception. It lends itself well to pot culture with a compact stature. As new growth emerges, buds appear and then unfold into pristine white flowers that have a loose, double form. The long narrow leaves and upright spreading habit make this a distinctive addition to any collection. Hardy Zone 8 and higher Full or partial sun, grows to 1-3 ft in container, intermittent bloomer. Read more about gardenias.

Heaven Scent is an exceptional tropical Gardenia with some of the largest flowers in the group. The intensely fragrant creamy-white blooms are usually semi-double to fully double, commonly 4 5 inches across and occasionally reaching 5 6 inches. Individual flowers can vary in form, sometimes opening into wonderfully unusual shapes. The foliage is equally impressive, with large, thick, glossy dark-green leaves that give the plant a lush tropical appearance even when it is not blooming.

This Tahitian Gardenia hybrid has circulated in the tropical nursery trade for many years and is generally reported as a hybrid between Gardenia taitensis and G. jasminoides (syn. G. augusta). It combines the tropical character and large foliage of Tahitian Gardenia with spectacular double flowers and a powerful sweet fragrance. A rare and beautiful Gardenia for warm tropical and subtropical gardens or container culture where winter protection can be provided. Read more about gardenias.