Pocket BotanistPlant guide
Gardenia.
Gardenia
Pronounced gar-DEE-nee-uh jaz-min-OY-deez
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Gardenias are beloved for their incredibly fragrant white flowers and glossy, dark green foliage. They thrive in humid environments and make a stunning addition to any indoor or outdoor space. You will find they are a bit picky about their environment, but the scent is well worth the effort.
At a glance
- Care level
- Difficult
- Plant type
- Evergreen shrub
- Light
- Bright indirect light with some morning sun.
- Indoor light
- Bright indirect
- Water
- Every 3 to 7 days
- Mature size
- 2 to 8 feet
- Growth rate
- Medium
Care
Keep the soil consistently moist but never soggy, and provide plenty of humidity to prevent bud drop. Watch for yellowing leaves, which often signal a need for more iron or a change in soil acidity. Ensure the plant stays away from cold drafts to keep it happy.
- Watering
- Water when the top inch of soil feels dry to the touch.
- Feeding
- Use an acid loving plant fertilizer during the active growing season.
- Pruning
- Prune immediately after flowering to shape the plant and encourage bushiness.
- Repotting
- Repot when the roots have filled the container or the soil has broken down.
- Soil
- Acidic, well draining, organic rich soil.
- Soil pH
- 5.0 to 6.0
Safety
- Pets
- Gardenias are toxic to cats and dogs if ingested, potentially causing vomiting or diarrhea.
How to identify it
- Glossy dark green leaves
- Highly fragrant white flowers
- Waxy petal texture
- Evergreen shrub growth habit
Problems to watch for
Check your gardenia from a photo
Pocket Botanist looks at a photo of your plant and tells you what's wrong and what to try first.
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Science
- Family
- Rubiaceae
- Genus
- Gardenia
- Order
- Gentianales
- Class
- Magnoliopsida
Taxonomy resolved against GBIF.
Also in
Keep your gardenia growing
This page is a general guide. Save your plant in Pocket Botanist and you get care reminders timed for this plant, plus a care history that shows what worked.
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This guide was generated with AI on and checked against GBIF taxonomy. It is general information, not horticultural or veterinary advice. Read about how we build these guides.