Garden Blog - Top Tropicals
Surprising Miniature Gardenia
Gardenia radicans - Dwarf Miniature Creeping Gardenia
Gardenia radicans - Dwarf Miniature Creeping Gardenia
Gardenia radicans - Dwarf Miniature Creeping Gardenia
- Gardenia radicans - Dwarf Miniature Creeping Gardenia - can surprise even longtime gardenia fans. It has all the charm of the classic shrub - glossy green leaves, pure white flowers, and that unforgettable fragrance - but in a smaller, easier form.
- Natural bonsai. This little plant grows low and wide, staying under 1-2 feet tall and spreading up to 3-4 feet. It forms a dense mound or creeping groundcover that looks great along walkways or spilling from a pot. The leaves are tiny and shiny, giving it a neat, polished look all year.
- The flowers are about an inch across, double or semi-double, and smell just like the full-size gardenia. They bloom in spring and often return through summer, filling the air with perfume.
- Easier than other gardenias. Gardenia radicans isn’t as fussy as most gardenias. It can handle clay, sandy, or loamy soil as long as it drains well. Once established, it’s fairly drought-tolerant and can even handle some cold, down to around 15F in protected spots.
- Where to plant. It's perfect for small gardens, patios, or as a bonsai. You get the luxury fragrance of a gardenia without needing a big space. Use it as a groundcover, edging plant, or container specimen. It's one of those plants that stays tidy, looks refined, and keeps blooming. For anyone who loves gardenias but wants something compact and low-maintenance, Gardenia radicans is a great find.
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Date:
Curious Gardenia graft
Q: I was told to send you pictures of my hybrid gardenia tree. About 6 months ago the new growth on the top of one side became crinkled. It doesn't get straightened out either. It seems like it just stays like that until it falls off. Any ideas?
A: Your plant is not sick at all. This is what happened...
Your gardenia is a grafted variety. Gardenia varieties (Gardenia jasminoides hybrids) are grafted on rootstock of Gardenia thunbergia (this species is nematode-resistant and used for rootstock especially in Florida).
The side branch that you call "crinkled" is actually the rootstock (Gardenia thunbergia) growing from UNDER the graft. Gardenia thunbergia has naturally "wavy" leaves.
If you follow this branch to its base, you will see where it starts - right below the graft. This happens very often.
You need to remove this branch altogether, from the point where it starts.
It sucks energy from the plant and eventually may take over the whole plant.
Photo above: Gardenia thunbergia with curly leaves
What is this shocking pink gardenia? Does it exist?
Kopsia fruticosa - Pink Gardenia
Kopsia fruticosa - Pink Gardenia
Kopsia fruticosa - Pink Gardenia
Kopsia fruticosa - Pink Gardenia
- 🌸 Kopsia fruticosa: fondly known as the "Pink Gardenia", this gem is one of nature's most exquisite and elusive treasures.
- 🌸 Its flowers are a marvel, transitioning from delicate light pink to deep hues with crimson centers, emitting a subtle fragrance.
- 🌸 Imagine our surprise when we stumbled upon this enchanting plant labeled as a Pink Gardenia during our expedition in Thailand!
- 🌸 Intrigued, we delved deeper into its botanical identity. While technically not a Gardenia, this beauty is a close relative of Plumeria and Adenium we mentioned earlier, as well as Tabernaemontana (also often confused with Gardenia). All these beauties belong to the esteemed plant family Apocynaceae.
- 🌸 It's no wonder this plant has captured our hearts; its beauty is simply irresistible, leaving us wanting more.
- 🌸 With its compact growth habit, it's perfect for containers or in-ground planting, adding a touch of elegance to any garden space.
🛒 Treat yourself with a Pink Gardenia!
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How not to kill a gardenia? Gardenias always struggling? Meet the only EASY gardenia
Kailarsenia vietnamensis, Vietnamese Gardenia
Kailarsenia vietnamensis, Vietnamese Gardenia
Kailarsenia vietnamensis, Vietnamese Gardenia
Kailarsenia vietnamensis, or Vietnamese Gardenia, boasts large, fragrant flowers that are so easy to grow.
- 💠 Resilient and cold-hardy, it tolerates overwatering and poor soils with ease, unlike most gardenias that are very sensitive to water and soil conditions.
- 💠 Not sensitive to root nematodes, unlike other gardenias (so the plant doesn't have to be grafted).
- 💠 Its stunning flowers, resembling beautiful artworks, fill the air with a lovely scent.
- 💠 Whether in containers or in the ground, this bushy beauty thrives indoors or outdoors, adding versatility and charm to any space.
📚 Learn more about Vietnamese Gardenia
🛒 Order Vietnamese Gardenia
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Date:
How to make the whole garden fragrant.
List of the most fragrant yet easy to grow plants
Q: Dear toptropicals, thanks for the great database on tropicals plants! I really enjoy browsing your web site and I am planning on completing my collection by purchasing some plants from your shop. I am particularly looking for fragrant plants that make the whole area fragrant. Can you provide a list of recommended fragrant plants that bloom throughout the year round? I currently have: murraya, plumeria, michelia alba, figo, champaca, rangoon creeper, honeysuckle, jasmine, stephanotis, Arabian sambac, brunfelsias.
A: As a must-have additions to your impressive fragrant plant
collection, we can recommend the following rare fragrant plants below. These are
our favorites that are easy to grow and free-flowering. Since they flower at
different times, they will add fragrance to your garden throughout the year.
Aglaia odorata - Chinese Perfume Plant
Aloysia virgata - Almond Bush
Beaumontia grandiflora - Easter Lily Vine
Brugmansia Variegated Orange Angel Trumpet
Brunfelsia magnifica floribunda Jims Giant (very fragrant and very
compact!)
Cananga fruticosa - Dwarf Ylang-Ylang
Cerbera x manghas hybrid - Enchanted Incense
Cestrum nocturnum - Night blooming jasmine
Crinum Queen Emma - Spider lily
Eucharis grandiflora - Amazon Lily
Euodia hortensis - Scented Evodia, Golden False Aralia (very fragrant
leaves!)
Hedychium coronarium - Butterfly Ginger
Hiptage benghalensis - Helicopter Flower
Jasminum dichotomum - Rose Bud Jasmine - very fragrant!
Magnolia virginiana - Sweet Bay
Millettia reticulata - Evergreen Wisteria
Mirabilis jalapa - Four oclock plant - super fragrant!
Osmanthus x fortunei - Fortunes Tea Olive
Oxyceros horridus- one of the most intense perfume fragrances!
Radermachera Kunming - Dwarf Tree Jasmine
Satureja Viminea - Kama Sutra Mint Tree - strong mint fragrance
Sclerochiton harveyanus - Blue Lips, Mazabuka - lavender fragrance
Solandra maxima - Variegated Butter Cup
Telosoma cordata - Pakalana vine
Wrightia religiosa - Sacred Buddhist
You may consider many varieties of gardenias, and the most rewarding
are:
Gardenia vietnamensis - Vietnamese Gardenia
Gardenia Aimee Yoshioka (First Love)
Gardenia posoqueria - Shooting Star Gardenia
Gardenia taitensis Heaven Scent (double flower)
Gardenia taitensis Tiare Tahiti, single flower
Gardenia tubifera Kula - Golden Gardenia
To see the full list of fragrant flowers, follow this link.
What is the easiest Gardenia
Gardenia (Kailarsenia) vietnamensis - Vietnamese Gardenia
- Gardenia (Kailarsenia) vietnamensis - Vietnamese Gardenia - is one of the easiest and hardiest Gardenias in our collection is the Vietnamese Gardenia. This plant is much easier to grow than many other Gardenias. It can handle overly moist soils much better, is quite drought tolerant once established and has a high resistance to the typical Gardenia woes.
- Fragrant & Beautiful: Creamy white, 3-inch flowers with an unforgettable fragrance. Flowers are very unusual shape, work of art!
- Hardy & Easy to Grow: More resistant to typical Gardenia issues like root rot, mildew, and bud drop. Tolerates moist soil and is drought-tolerant once established.
- Cold-Hardy: The most cold-hardy of all tropical Gardenias, perfect for various climates.
- Perfect for Containers: A compact, bushy shrub that thrives in pots or the ground.
- Low Maintenance: Prefers well-drained, acidic soil and some afternoon shade. Prune after flowering for best shape.
- Evergreen Beauty: Blooming year-round. Ideal for beginners who want a reliable and fragrant plant!
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Date:
Tahitian Gardenia
Q: I am interested in your Tahitian Gardenia and I would love to try and grow this plant in a large container/fabric pot. The soil here where I live is terrible as it's hard rock, clay, and sand! So I'm not sure if amending the soil would help to plant in the ground? Can you tell me if this will do okay in a container or best in ground? I live here in Las Vegas, NV (zone 9a). Any information would be great to help me make a this decision, I love the selection of cool tropical plants you offer! Also my daughter does Tahitian/Polynesian dance and this would be a cool "topping on the cake" if she could have a live Tiare flower in her performances.
A: Tahitian Gardenia will be doing best if grown in container in your
area. In its natural habitat, it grows full sun but also it enjoys mild weather
conditions and high air humidity. All gardenias prefer acidic soils. In your
area, if planted in the ground, it may be exposed to some harsh conditions:
too high temperatures, too hot sun, dry air, and as you mentioned - heavy clay
and sandy soil. You can enjoy this plant grown in container, which can be
moved as needed away from too much sun during summer months. Use well-drained potting mix. Use plastic pot, do not use fabric or clay
pots - soil will dry out too quickly.
Also remember to fertilize this plant on regular basis with a liquid
fertilizer SUNSHINE Pikake - Fragrant Flower Booster.
Grow gardenia in full sun or semi-shade during the hottest months. You may
spray it with pure water if the air too dry and hot. Enjoy your Tropical
Beauty and good luck!
Date:
The Flower of Gold
By Onika Amell, tropical plant specialist
Q: I am concentrating on adding more fragrance to my garden. I've had great success growing gardenias and I have many different varieties, but their flowers are all white, and I would like to add some colors to my garden too. Are there any gardenias available in different colors? I live in Waipio Acres, Hawaii.
A: Meet the very rare and highly fragrant, tropical Gardenia tubifera Kula or Golden gardenia. Kula flowers change color as
they mature, which is a unique feature! Kula flowers start out as cream,
then change to yellow and finally to a beautiful gold. In addition to the
spectacular flowers, this gardenia also has beautiful, leathery, deep green
foliage.
This is a slow-growing and compact plant. Like all the other members in
the Gardenia family, the Golden gardenia will do best in an acidic,
well-drained, and fertile soil. It will appreciate a good deal of direct sunlight but
will be very happy if provided with midday and afternoon shade. As with with
gardenias, the more sunlight the more flowers.
It will eventually grow into a rounded shrub if left unpruned, but also
can be trained into a small tree, maintainable to a height of under 7-8
feet. Blooms will appear from spring onward. Prune after flowering, this will
encourage more flowers in a few months.
Gardeners living in colder areas, do not fret. Gardenias make perfect
container plants and can be grown indoors in colder climates. Just be sure to
provide high light when bringing them indoors.
The fragrance and changing colors of a Gardenia Kula is unforgettable.
They are most fragrant near sunset and during early evening hours. Plant them
near walks and patios where their lovely fragrance can be enjoyed.
This
rare tropical Gardenia is sure to be a conversation piece in any garden.
Great collector's plant!
Recommended fertilizers:
Pink N Good Daily Plant Food - Flower Booster
Tropical Allure - Smart-Release Booster
Limited time special offer:
Instant $5 OFF Golden Gardenia!
Have you ever seen a pink gardenia?
Kopsia fruticosa - Pink Gardenia
- 🌸 Kopsia fruticosa also called "Pink Gardenia", is one of nature's most exquisite and elusive treasures. Technically not a Gardenia, this beauty is a close relative of Plumeria and Adenium as well as Tabernaemontana (also often confused with Gardenia). All these beauties belong to the esteemed plant family Apocynaceae.
- 🌸 This bush has been in bloom for us for many months, since Fall, through Winter, and and is still flowering!
📚 Learn more about this elusive treasure:
What is pink gardenia? Does it exist?
🛍 Get your own Pink Gardenia
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What will bloom for you in November: Gardenia nitida - Shooting Star
Gardenia nitida - Shooting Star
Gardenia nitida - Shooting Star
- ⭐️ It's end of November and let's see what's in bloom today.
- ⭐️ The leaves are the first giveaway. Instead of the thick, waxy look of common gardenias, this one has big, soft, diamond-shaped leaves that give the whole plant a delicate, almost tropical-orchid vibe. The shrubs grow into neat, rounded shapes, so they do great in containers or smaller garden spaces.
- ⭐️ And the blooms… they’re happening right now! Long, skinny white tubes that flare open into bright little starbursts. They show up in clusters, and when the sun hits them, they really do look like tiny shooting stars across the plant. The fragrance is sweet, rich, and drifting all over the walkway even before you get close.
- ⭐️ It blooms several times a year, but this moment - right now, heading into winter - is one of its best. If you like rare fragrant plants, this is one of those collector pieces you don’t see every day, especially looking this full and this fresh.
Gardenia nitida - the Shooting Star Gardenia - is looking absolutely perfect right now. This is one of the most unusual gardenias you’ll ever run into. Native to tropical Africa, slow-growing, elegant, and honestly… it doesn’t even look like the regular gardenias people are used to.
🛒 Get the Shooting Star to light up your garden in Winter
📚 Learn more:
More about Gardenia nitida from Plant Encyclopedia
📱 Watch YouTube short videos:
- ✦ You thought you knew Gardenias, until you saw this one
- ✦ Shooting Star Gardenia: a rare scent from Africa
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