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Dense and fragrant
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Attractive foliage and sweet-smelling white flowers are what make Gardenias popular
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GARDENIAS ARE evergreen, low growing bushy shrubs mainly prized for their attractive foliage and fragrant flowers. Originally from Africa and Asia, they belong to the family Rubiaceae and they are not difficult to grow.
The only indoor species is Gardenia jasminoides also known as Gardenia florida, is popularly called cape jasmine (though not related to true jasmines). The 10-cm long leaves are shiny, dark green, leathery, lance-shaped, are arranged in opposite pairs, but sometimes in whorls of three or more.
The white flowers may be fully double with many petals or semi-double with only two layers of arching petals. Flowers are 10-20 cms across and appear from leaf axils near the ends of the sheets. The plant turns yellow with age.
Gardenias are grown as specimen plant or in shrubs and flowers are used in arrangement and bouquets. They grow in well-drained, lime-free soil mixed with compost in bright filtered light. During the warmer months, daily watering is needed. Spraying the leaves, but not the flowers in the early morning is good way to keep up the plant's humidity requirements. When the plant becomes too dry, the buds will fall off.
Gardenia jasminoides veitchii with dense growth, many petalled flowers remain pure white.
Potted Gardenia needs regular feeding with a liquid fertilizer. For container growing, add peat moss to the lime-free potting mixture.
This will help retain moisture in the soil. Propagation is by tip cuttings. Pruning is necessary to keep the shrubs low and bushy.
CHITRA RADHAKRISHNAN
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