Common name(s): Gardenia, cape jasmine, Gandhraj, Ananta
Scientific name: Gardenia jasminoides.
Description
Gardenia belongs to the family Rubiaceae and is prized for their very fragrant white flowers and glossy, dark green leaves. Many cultivars of Gardenia jasminoides exist that offer considerable variation in plant size, flower form, and blooming time and duration. They are evergreen shrubs and small trees. The leaves are opposite or in whorls of three or four, broad, dark green, and glossy with a leathery texture. The flowers are solitary or in small clusters, white, or pale yellow, with a tubular-based corolla with 5-12 lobes. Place in light to moderate shade, preferably with minimum competition from tree roots. Gardenias resent root disturbance. Use fertilizer for acid-loving plants, and use iron compounds.
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Gardenia jasminoides plant care and instructions
Indoors, give gardenias bright light, but avoid direct sunlight, especially during summer. Outdoors, they prefer a part-shade location. Gardenias are acid-loving plants, so they prefer soil with a slightly lower pH. Normal potting mixes with a peat base meet this criterion. When planted outdoors, it's best to test the soil for pH and amend as needed to create ideal conditions for the plant. A teaspoon of agricultural sulfur mixed into the planting hole may help lower soil pH. Keep soil continuously moist but reduce watering in the winter. Drip irrigation is a good method since it keeps water off the leaves, which can cause fungal leaf spots. Gardenias require temperatures above 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Avoid cold drafts if the temperature drops lower. These plants prefer a high humidity level, above 60 percent. In climates with cold, dry winter air, indoor plants may require the use of a humidifier or constant misting to maintain proper humidity. For garden plants in warm regions, feed-in mid-March using an acid fertilizer, then again in late June. Don't feed gardenias in the fall. For container plants, feeding about every three weeks with an acidifying fertilizer the type used for azaleas or camellias is a good choice.
Light - Give gardenias bright light, but avoid direct sunlight, especially during summer
Place - Indoors or Outdoors
Water - Keep soil continuously moist but reduce watering in the winter.
Fertilizer - For garden plants in warm regions, feed in mid-March using an acid fertilizer, then again in late June. Don't feed gardenias in the fall.
Temperature - Above 60 degrees Fahrenheit
Special Features
People take gardenia by mouth for anxiety, agitation, bladder infection, bleeding, cancer, constipation, depression, diabetes, fever, gallbladder disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, the flu, trouble sleeping, liver disorders, menopausal symptoms, pain, swelling of the pancreas, and rheumatoid arthritis. Consult a doctor first!
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