Gardenia
Habit | shrub
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Lifespan: | ⌛ | perennial |
Exposure: | ☼ | part-sun |
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Water: | ◍ | moist, moderate |
Features: | ✓ | flowers, fragrance |
Flower features: | ❀ | white, single, double |
Gardenia > |
Gardenia is a genus of about 250 species of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae, native to the tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, southern Asia, Australasia and Oceania.
The genus was named by Carl Linnaeus after Dr Alexander Garden (1730-1791), Scottish-born American naturalist.
They are evergreen shrubs and small trees growing to 1-15 m tall. The leaves are opposite or in whorls of three or four, 5-50 cm long and 3-25 cm 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 ('petals') from 5-12 cm diameter. Flowering is from about mid-spring to mid-summer and many species are strongly scented.
ExpandRead about Gardenia in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture
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Cultivation
Gardenia jasminoides (syn. G. grandiflora, G. florida) is cultivated as a house plant. This species can be difficult to grow because it originated in warm humid tropical areas. It demands high humidity to thrive and bright (not direct) light. It flourishes in acidic soils with good drainage and thrives on [68-74 F temperatures (20-23 C)][1] during the day and 60 F (15-16 C) in the evening. Potting soils developed especially for gardenias are available. G. jasminoides grows no larger than than 18 inches in height and width when grown indoors. In climates where it can be grown outdoors, it can attain a height of 6 feet. If water hits the flowers, they will turn brown. [1]
Propagation
Pests and diseases
Species
- Selected species
- Gardenia brighamii H.Mann - Nānū ([[Hawaii|HawaiTemplate:Okinai]])
- Gardenia buffalina (Lour.) Poir. in J.B.A.M.de Lamarck (= Genipa buffalina)
- Gardenia carinata India, Malaya.
- Gardenia cornuta (Natal Gardenia). South Africa.
- Gardenia flava (Lour.) Poir. in J.B.A.M.de Lamarck (= Genipa flava)
- Gardenia fortunei Eastern Asia.
- Gardenia gummifera India. Small tree, to 3 m high.
- Gardenia imperialis Tropical Africa. Small tree to 12 m.
- Gardenia jasminoides (Common Gardenia, Cape Jasmine or Cape Jessamine). Southern China and Japan.
- Gardenia latifolia India. Shrub or tree, 5-10 m high.
- Gardenia mannii H.St.John & Kuykend. (HawaiTemplate:Okinai)
- Gardenia remyi H.Mann (HawaiTemplate:Okinai)
- Gardenia resinifera Roth (Brilliant Gardenia, Cambi Resin Tree, or dikamali) India. Shrub or small tree, to 3 m high. (= G. lucida, Genipa resinifera)
- Gardenia resiniflua (Gummy Gardenia). South Africa.
- Gardenia rutenbergiana (Baill. ex Vatke) J.-F.Leroy (= Genipa rutenbergiana)
- Gardenia scabrella far north Queensland- used in amenities plantings in Cairns
- Gardenia spatulifolia South Africa.
- Gardenia taitensis (Tahitian Gardenia, Tiare māori). Polynesia.
- Gardenia ternifolia (Large-leaved Transvaal Gardenia). South Africa.
- Gardenia ternifolia ssp. jovis-tonantis (Welw.) Verdc. (= G. jovis-tonantis, Genipa jovis-tonantis)
- Gardenia thunbergia (White Gardenia, Forest Gardenia, or witkatjiepiering) South Africa. Shrub or small tree, 2-5 m high.
- Gardenia tubifera (Golden Gardenia). Southeastern Asia. Small tree to 15 m high.
- Gardenia turgida India. Shrub or small tree to 4 m high, with spines.
- Gardenia volkensii (Transvaal Gardenia or Savanna Gardenia). Tropical Africa.
Gallery
References
- ↑ Reader's Digest. Success with House Plants. The Reader's Digest Association, Inc. New York/Montreal. 217
- Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963
External links
- w:Gardenia. Some of the material on this page may be from Wikipedia, under the Creative Commons license.
- Gardenia QR Code (Size 50, 100, 200, 500)