Gardenia jasminoidesCommon Gardenia

The Gardenia jasminoides, or Common Gardenia, is a compact evergreen shrub from southern China and Japan, grown for waxy white flowers that carry one of the most recognisable perfumes in horticulture. The blooms open pure white and age to cream against dark, leathery, high-gloss foliage.

It rewards a well-prepared bed and repays neglect poorly, so it belongs where the planting is close at hand and the soil can be got right: entrances, courtyards, terrace beds and container groupings.

Specifications

• Height1 to 2 metres, reaching 3 metres on old plants
• Width1 to 2 metres
• Native toSouthern China, Taiwan, Japan and Vietnam
• FoliageOpposite, leathery, high-gloss dark green lanceolate leaves; evergreen
• Growth rateSlow to moderate

Conditions

• SoilRequires acidic, humus-rich, free-draining soil; yellows badly in alkaline or limey ground unless the bed is corrected and kept corrected
• LightFull sun to partial shade, with light shade preferred in hot climates
• WaterModerate to regular; keep evenly moist and avoid drying out during bud set
• ClimateThrives in subtropical and warm temperate regions, and in tropical highlands

Additional Features

• FlowersHeavily perfumed waxy white flowers ageing to cream, mainly from late spring into summer
• UsesIdeal for fragrant hedging and border planting, entrances, courtyards and container display
• SpacingPlant 0.8 to 1.2 metres apart for a hedge
• Low MaintenanceDemands attention rather than tolerating neglect: expect to manage soil pH, iron levels and even moisture, and prune lightly after flowering
• Pest ResistanceProne to scale, mealybug and sooty mould where the plant is stressed
• Seasonal AppealThe flowering flush is short but overwhelming, and the glossy foliage carries the rest of the year
• VersatilitySuits formal hedges, mixed borders and large containers

The Common Gardenia is worth the trouble it asks for, but only where the soil can be built and maintained to suit it.