Alphabetical Plant Listing

Favorite Gardenia Varieties - Complete Selection Guide

Popular Gardenias, Popular Gardenia Varieties, Dwarf Gardenias, Medium Gardenias, Large Gardenias, Hardy Gardenias


Beloved for their intoxicating fragrance and attractive, waxy, creamy-white flowers contrasting beautifully with their shiny, leathery, dark green leaves, Gardenias are irresistible heat-loving evergreen shrubs or trees. Native to the tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, southern Asia, Australasia, and Oceania, Gardenias are not the easiest shrubs to grow, but their exquisite fragrant flowers make up for the extra attention they require.

  • Gardenia plants usually grow from 2 to 12 ft tall and wide (60 - 360 cm), depending on the variety. Blooming profusely over a long period of time extending from mid-spring to late summer or even fall, Gardenia flowers may be solitary or in small clusters, single, semi-double or double. Reaching up to 4 in. in diameter (10 cm), most flowers last 3-8 days. They open white and mature to soft creamy yellow.
  • Symbol of purity and sweetness, the Gardenia flower makes excellent cut flowers and is prized in wedding bouquets or flower arrangements where it adds a touch of elegance. It is followed in late summer and fall by Gardenia hips, rich orange-red berries that attract birds and other wildlife.
  • Gardenias have not been bred to withstand extreme cold weather. Most varieties enjoy tropical or subtropical conditions and are recommended for USDA zones 8-11. However, a few frost-proof Gardenia varieties can now be grown more reliably in USDA climate zone 7. These hardy Gardenias can tolerate temperatures that plummet to below freezing and still reward you with their fabulous blooms.
  • Gardenia plants are well suited for containers, raised beds, hedges, espaliers, screens, borders, ground covers, or specimen plants. Plant your Gardenias near a deck or window where you can enjoy the divine flowers' fragrance!
  • The most popular cultivated Gardenia species is Gardenia jasminoides (also called Gardenia Augusta, Gardenia grandiflora, Gardenia schlechteri, or Gardenia florida), commonly known as Common Gardenia or Cape Jasmine. Native to China, Taiwan, and Japan, this beautiful, shrubby evergreen species emits a captivating, sweet fragrance reminiscent of Jasmine, hence its name.

Over 200 Gardenia varieties are available in a wide range of height, flower size and color, leaf size and color, blooming time and duration, and shrub habit. Here is the list of the most popular Gardenia cultivars.

 

Guide Information

Hardiness 6 - 11
Heat Zones 8 - 12
Climate Zones 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, H1, H2
Plant Type Shrubs
Plant Family Gardenia
Exposure Partial Sun
Season of Interest Spring (Mid,Late)
Summer (Early,Late)
Fall
Water Needs Average
Maintenance Average
Soil Type Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pH Acid, Neutral
Soil Drainage Moist but Well-Drained
Characteristics Cut Flowers, Fragrant, Showy
Tolerance Deer
Attracts Birds
Landscaping Ideas Beds and Borders, Ground Covers, Hedges and Screens, Patio and Containers
Garden Styles City and Courtyard, Informal and Cottage, Traditional Garden
Compare All Gardenia Guides with Gardenia

Copyright: ivz / 123RF Stock Photo, zigzagmtart / 123RF Stock Photo

While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources.

Guide Information

Hardiness 6 - 11
Heat Zones 8 - 12
Climate Zones 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, H1, H2
Plant Type Shrubs
Plant Family Gardenia
Exposure Partial Sun
Season of Interest Spring (Mid,Late)
Summer (Early,Late)
Fall
Water Needs Average
Maintenance Average
Soil Type Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pH Acid, Neutral
Soil Drainage Moist but Well-Drained
Characteristics Cut Flowers, Fragrant, Showy
Tolerance Deer
Attracts Birds
Landscaping Ideas Beds and Borders, Ground Covers, Hedges and Screens, Patio and Containers
Garden Styles City and Courtyard, Informal and Cottage, Traditional Garden
Compare All Gardenia Guides with Gardenia

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