Woodie’s Picks: A Plant Family That Exudes Elegance, Class, and Fragrance–Gardenias
Suppose you want a simple solution to creating a sleek, elegant, and classy outdoor space this fall…The simple answer: plant gardenias! This plant family is praised for its evergreen nature, long blooming period, hardiness to the elements, and so much more!
In this installment of Woodie’s Picks, we will cover the key benefits of planting Gardenias in the landscape and shed light on a few of our favorite varieties.
Benefits of Growing Gardenias
Evergreen Interest
Gardenia foliage consists of thick, dark green, glossy leaves that retain their green hues year-round. The leaves have a leathery or rugose texture with impressed veins. Their handsome, polished appearance makes them ideal additions to formal gardens or for use in foundation plantings in front-yard flowerbeds. While many plants begin to lose their leaves for the winter season, gardenias will provide vibrant evergreen color that persists throughout the year.
Stunning Blooms & Intoxicating Fragrance
The next stand-out feature of Gardenia shrubs is their gorgeous and intoxicatingly fragrant blooms. The delicate and glossy white petals are layered in a pinwheel pattern to create a rose-like bloom, and their scent is often described as sweet and powerful. The flowers on Gardenia shrubs typically appear from late spring to early summer; however, some varieties even experience sporadic blooms later into the fall season. There is a range of different Gardenia varieties, each with slightly different characteristics from the next.
Hardy To The Elements
Beyond their evergreen nature and undeniable beauty, a few Gardenia varieties have been specifically bred to be generally hardy to the elements and withstand the chilly temperatures of a northern winter. In addition to this hardiness, Gardenias are considered a deer-resistant plant, which can be a significant advantage for many gardeners living in woodland-surrounded landscapes.
Our Favorite Gardenia Varieties
August Beauty Gardenia
The August Beauty Gardenia is a gorgeous variety notable for its vigorous growth, large, abundant, double flowers, and exceptionally long bloom season from spring through the fall. The August Beauty’s dense, rounded growth habit makes it highly versatile in the landscape and perfect for a range of different designs. The larger size reaching maturity of around 4 to 6 feet wide and 3 to 4 feet tall makes it an ideal choice if you’re looking for a robust plant to really fill out a space. The August Beauty Gardenia is really proof that sometimes bigger is better; in addition to the larger form of this breathtaking shrub, you can also look forward to large double-petaled flowers, typically 3 to 4 inches across.
Kleim’s Hardy Gardenia
If hardiness to the elements is your primary concern, the Kleim’s Hardy Gardenia is likely the perfect option for you. This variety offers stronger resilience and sun tolerance in a perfectly compact form. As one of the most cold-tolerant Gardenia cultivars, Kleim’s Hardy can survive winters in USDA zone 7. This makes it a viable option for a full zone colder than most other Gardenia varieties. The Kleim Gardenia reaches maturity around 2 to 3 feet tall, making it ideal for smaller spaces, containers, or lining pathways.
Dwarf Gardenia Radicans
For a smaller Gardenia variety with more of a spreading, groundcover-like habit, we recommend Dwarf Gardenia Radicans. This smaller version of your favorite spring bloomer offers the classic, intoxicating fragrance while holding up better than many other cultivars in less-than-ideal conditions. Radicans have a low, mounding, and creeping habit, typically growing 1 to 2 feet tall and spreading up to 4 feet wide. This Gardenia cultivar is less particular about soil and can tolerate a wider variety of conditions compared to other Gardenia types. In addition to their strong adaptability, Radicans are also known for being more drought-tolerant once established.
Gardenia Frost Proof
If none of the above suit your fancy, Gardenia Frost Proof is the plant for you! This shrub offers impressive and improved cold hardiness, sporting reliable blooms in areas that experience late spring frosts. While not entirely immune to frost, Gardenia Frost Proof is explicitly bred to withstand cold temperatures without damaging the buds. The blooms are large, double white beauties that bring sophisticated elegance and grace to any garden. While the main bloom occurs in late spring to early summer, established 'Frost Proof' gardenias will continue to flower sporadically throughout the summer and into the fall. Compared to some more sensitive gardenia types, 'Frost Proof' is known for being less particular and more adaptable to varying soil conditions. Although slower-growing than its neighboring varieties, Gardenia Frost Proof eventually reaches a height and width of around 4 feet.
Shop Gardenias and More Online Today
Whether you’re looking for a bold, statement-making shrub or a compact, hardy variety for smaller spaces, Gardenias bring unmatched elegance, fragrance, and year-round beauty to the landscape. From their glossy evergreen foliage to their timeless white blooms, these versatile plants elevate any outdoor space with sophistication and charm. Explore Woodie’s hand-picked Gardenia varieties and discover the perfect fit for your garden...your outdoor oasis is just a planting away.