Gardenia Games

Dwarf Radicans Gardenia

Gardenia jasminoides 'Radicans'

The Dwarf Radicans Gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides ‘Radicans’) is the shortest Gardenia of the bunch. This variety maxes out at 6-12″ tall and 2-3′ wide! Therefore, it opens up some unique options in the landscape. It’s perfect for a foreground plant in a mixed garden bed or as a ground cover.

This dwarf gardenia features petite, semi-double, crisp-white blooms that pack the same powerful fragrance as larger varieties. These blooms usually span 2-3″ across and appear in impressive numbers in early summer. Afterward, they have periodic reblooms through the end of the season and sometimes into fall.

The foliage is deep green and evergreen; however, slight leaf yellowing is common in winter. Each leaf is long and spear-shaped, with a point on the end. Furthermore, it has a naturally rounded growth habit, so pruning is generally unnecessary for this low-maintenance beauty.

The Radicans is hardy from USDA Zones 8-11 but can handle slightly colder zones if planted next to the foundation of a home where it’s protected from harsh winds. Additionally, it grows best in slightly acidic soil and in full sun to partial shade.

Hardy Daisy Gardenia

Gardenia jasminoides 'Daisy'

The Hardy Daisy Gardenia, or Kleim’s Hardy Daisy Gardenia, is a classic variety, so-named due to its cold-hardy nature and capability to survive into Zone 7a. Numerous other gardenia varieties can survive in Zone 7a, but this one still earns its place in the landscape.

This gardenia reaches 2-3′ H x 2-3′ W. So it’s perfect in front of a hedgerow, as a border or foundation planting, in a mass planting, or a container garden.

It produces single-form, waxy white blooms with golden centers beginning in late spring, with smaller reblooms through the end of summer. These blooms are five-petaled and quite fragrant, a very showy variety.

This variety is slow-growing and evergreen, with dark green foliage. Its leaves are rounded, with semi-deep veining and a slight gloss.

The Hardy Daisy Gardenia is hardy from USDA Zones 7-11 and thrives in acidic soil with good drainage. Full Sun to Partial direct sun provides the most prolific blooms and foliage.

Scentamazing Gardenia

Gardenia jasminoides 'Leetwo' PP27601

The Scentamazing Gardenia is a phenomenal selection from the Southern Living Plant Collection. In many ways, the Scentamazing is an improved version of the Hardy Daisy.

It has the same cold hardiness and similar crisp, single-form blooms with gold centers. However, the Scentamazing tends to grow much more densely than the Hardy Daisy, and its leaves are brighter, with a highly glossy surface.

This variety has an initial large bloom in late spring and continues to have smaller reblooms into fall. It lives up to its name with powerfully fragrant blossoms.

On average, the Scentamazing grows slightly larger than the Hardy Daisy, between 2.5-3′ H x 2.5-3′ W. It’s ideal for foundation plantings, mass planting, mixed garden beds, informal hedges, or container gardens.

This variety thrives from USDA Zones 7-10. Like other gardenias, it prefers rich, slightly acidic soil with good drainage and Full Sun to Part Shade exposure.

Jubilation Gardenia

Gardenia jasminoides 'Leeone' PP21983

The Jubilation Gardenia is another tremendous variety from the Southern Living Plant Collection! This selection reaches 3-4′ H x 3′ W, so it feels right at home in foundation plantings, as a medium-height element in a mixed garden bed, as a mass planting, in an informal hedge, and in container gardens.

Its foliage is notably dense, upright, and rounded, requiring little pruning. Additionally, this is a fast-growing variety in favorable conditions. The individual leaves are elongated, evergreen, and dark green, with an attractive gloss.

The Jubilation Gardenia has crisp white, double flowers with a strong fragrance. These dynamite flowers start appearing in large numbers in late spring and reappear periodically through fall. Moreover, each bloom lasts about five days on the plant, making fantastic cut flowers.

This variety is noted for being disease and pest resistant, as well as heat tolerant.

August Beauty Gardenia

Gardenia jasminoides 'August Beauty'

The August Beauty Gardenia is ideal for taller gardenia applications such as privacy hedges or large specimens. It reaches a mature height of 5 feet and 3 feet wide with a moderate growth rate, between 13-24″ of growth yearly. Therefore, it’s a great choice if you want a large gardenia shrub more quickly than some slow-growing varieties.

This gardenia grows in a naturally rounded habit, so trimming is generally unnecessary. However, you can trim it into a somewhat uniform hedge after the bloom season ends.

The blooms are large, traditionally about 3-3.5 inches across. They’re quite fragrant, double-form, and very white. Additionally, it has a long bloom season that begins in late spring, with smaller reblooms going into the fall.

The foliage remains nicely evergreen all year long. Its leaves are dark green, elliptical, and quite glossy, with rich veining. This is a very consistent variety.

The August Beauty Gardenia is hardy from USDA Zones 8-11 but, like most varieties, can handle slightly colder zones if planted against the foundation of a home.

The August Beauty can be trained into a tree form or even an espalier. It also creates a great container plant, specimen, or mixed garden bed variety.

Frost Proof Gardenia

Gardenia jasminoides 'Frostproof'

The Frost Proof Gardenia has the greatest size potential of these varieties, reaching an average mature size of 5′ H x 4′ W. However, it is also slow-growing. This means that it will grow traditionally about 6-12″ yearly.

It’s worth noting that there’s a misconception about this variety due to its name. The Frost Proof Gardenia is NOT frost-proof as a whole. The name refers to the Frost Proof’s ability to withstand unexpected late-season freezes in spring without affecting bloom production. It is hardy from USDA Zones 7-11, making it more cold-hardy than many other conventional gardenia varieties.

The blooms of the Frost Proof Gardenia are semi-double and quite white, with a golden center once the bloom is fully opened. These flowers appear in early summer and rebloom through the end of summer.

The leaves are slender, pointed, and dark green with a glossy sheen. This dense foliage provides ample coverage when used as a medium-height privacy hedge. Otherwise, it’s great as a specimen, container planting, or in a mixed garden bed.