Gardenia is an evergreen shrub or small tree that bears a fragrant, waxy, white flower. Botanists classify the gardenia with plants of the madder family, which includes the coffee and quinine trees. The gardenia shrub is native to China and Japan. It is very sensitive to temperature. The flower buds form best at temperatures from 60 to 62 °F (16 to 17 °C). The leaves become yellow and unhealthy at lower temperatures. A moist atmosphere is also desirable. Therefore, gardenias are usually raised in greenhouses or conservatories. They are also grown outdoors where winter temperatures do not drop below 10 °F (-12 °C).
The beautiful gardenia blossoms are double. Varieties that are used for corsages are Belmont, Hadley, and McLellans 23. The gardenia is frequently called Cape jasmine because it smells like jasmine and was first brought to England from the Cape Colony in Africa. Veitchiana, a small-flowered form of gardenia, grows as a potted plant.
