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Cape Jasmine (Gardenia Augusta)
from:It is also known as common gardenia, Gardenia jasminoides, gardenia grandiflora, Gardenia radicans, Gardenia schlechteri or Gardenia florids. It belongs to a genus of nearly 200 species named in honor of the botanist, Alexander Garden.
This lovely-scented plant is native to China and has been grown in the United States for at lest one hundred years. It has glossy, evergreen leaves and large, fragrant white flowers.
The scent is so lovely you can find gardenia-inspired scents in perfumes, body lotions, shampoos and bath liquid. Some people say they look as if they are made of porcelain. They are commonly used in corsages and boutonnieres.
Gardenias grow well in semi-shady environments. They make nice container plants. Terra Cotta pots work well for gardenias.
Make sure the pot drains well. They like to be kept moist but do not allow them to sit in a pool of water. They dry out easily in the summertime so make sure you water them regularly.
Other tips for growing gardenia:
- Gardenias need a lot of light, but avoid direct afternoon sun during the summer. If you are growing them indoors, they will need a type of artificial light especially in the winter.
- They need to stay moist. Provide room temperature, distilled water. When they are not in bloom, they can be kept a little drier.
- They bloom best during warm days and cool night. Avoid temperatures below fifty degrees. They enjoy humidity and can tolerate a wide range of temperatures pretty well. They perform their best in high humidity situations. Use a humidifier in your home especially during the winter.
- Give them a water-soluble fertilizer every two to three weeks. Use an acid fertilizer a few times each year. If you do not use distilled water to water them, use the acid formula on a regular basis.
- Use a high quality peat-based soil.
- Repot your gardenias each spring when they are young. As they mature, only repot them if their roots outgrow the pot.
- Shower your gardenias occasionally and remove blooms that have died. Prune them for shaping if they grow too large.
The following are popular types of gardenia:
- Gardenia jasminoides " Florida ” or "Fortuniana” has glossy, evergreen leaves, white, heavily scented flowers. They bloom mainly in the warmer months. This is said to be the type of gardenia with the largest leaves and most lovely fragrance.
- Gardenia "Magnifica" has larger flowers than " Florida ” but is otherwise similar.
- Gardenia "Radicans" is a ground cover with small flowers and leaves than other types.
- "Gold Magic" has white flowers that turn a lemon color before falling off.
- "Aimee Yoshiba" are similar to the " Florida ” but have larger foliage and flowers.
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