Cape Jasmine (Gardenia)
Gardenia jasminoides · Rubiaceae · 치자나무
How to spot it
Identified by pinwheel-like (spiral) flower buds, glossy wrinkled leaves with sunken veins, and strongly scented flowers.
Look
- Leaves
- Glossy, leathery leaves 5 to 10 cm long, dark green, with sunken veins that look wrinkled.
- Flowers
- Creamy white flowers (5 to 8 cm across) bloom in spring to summer and fade to yellow; very fragrant, and many cultivars are double.
- Fruit
- Orange berries (3 to 8 cm long) appear in summer to autumn and are ornamental; used as a yellow dye.
Where it grows
- Native to
- Native to southern China, Japan, Taiwan and Vietnam.
- Ecology
- Prefers bright indirect light to partial shade and acidic, well-drained soil; in alkaline soil near concrete, growth problems (yellowing) appear.