Dwarf creeping gardenia

Sun

Morning sun and afternoon shade are ideal. Full sun is suitable where summers are mild and the roots stay evenly moist; avoid hot reflected afternoon sun.

Water

Keep the root zone evenly moist but not waterlogged. Water during dry spells and check containers frequently in warm weather; reduce watering during cool winter conditions.

Soil

Humus-rich, well-drained, acidic soil, ideally pH 5.0-6.0. In alkaline gardens, grow in a container of ericaceous compost rather than trying to acidify the whole bed.

Height

0.5-1.5 ft (0.15-0.45 m)

Spread

2-4 ft (0.6-1.2 m)

Flowers

Fragrant, double white flowers from late spring through summer, sometimes with scattered later blooms in warm climates; flowers cream as they age.

Foliage

Evergreen. Small, narrow, glossy dark green leaves on low, spreading branches.

Growth

Slow to moderate

Care needed

Medium

• Deer resistant
• Heat tolerant
• Low allergen
• Fragrant

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Hard

Toughness

Needs looking after

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1 ft (0.3 m)

   full size

About 7 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Toxic

Growth rate

Slow

• Water deeply when the soil surface begins to dry; do not leave pots standing in water.
• Use rainwater where possible if your tap water is hard.
• Feed with a gardenia or ericaceous fertilizer in spring, following the label; avoid feeding late in the growing season.
• Apply 2-3 in (5-8 cm) of organic mulch, keeping it clear of the stems.
• Shelter from cold, drying winds and protect from hard frost; move containers under bright, frost-free cover in cold regions.

Pruning. Lightly trim immediately after the main flush of flowers to shorten stray shoots and maintain a low outline. Remove dead or damaged growth as needed, and avoid heavy late-season pruning that can remove developing flower buds.

Spring

Plant after frost risk has passed, or refresh container compost and begin feeding as growth resumes.

Late spring

Check soil moisture as buds develop; avoid letting the root ball dry out.

Summer

Water during dry weather and inspect leaf undersides for whitefly and scale.

After the main summer flowering

Lightly trim spreading shoots if needed; remove faded flowers for a tidier appearance.

Autumn

Stop feeding and move container plants into bright, frost-free shelter before cold weather.

Winter

Keep sheltered plants lightly moist, away from radiators, and check periodically for pests.

• Edge a sheltered path or patio with low plants so the flowers and scent are close at hand.
• Plant in small groups beneath open-canopied shrubs in an acidic border, leaving enough light for flowering.
• Use in containers beside a seating area, paired with foliage plants that enjoy similar moisture and acidity.
• Combine with azaleas and camellias for a low evergreen foreground and a longer sequence of flowers.

Garden styles it suits: Southern, Modern courtyard, Sensory garden, White garden, Small-space and Modern tropical.

Plant it with: Azaleas, Camellias, Japanese pieris, Dwarf mondo grass, Liriope and Japanese painted fern.

Wildlife: The dense foliage offers small invertebrates shelter. Its double flowers generally provide less accessible pollen and nectar than single-flowered gardenias, so it is not a strong choice for a pollinator planting.

• Yellow leaves with green veins often indicate iron deficiency caused by alkaline soil or water. Check soil pH, use rainwater and ericaceous compost, and apply chelated iron if needed.
• Bud drop can follow drying out, waterlogging or sudden temperature changes. Keep moisture steady and avoid moving a plant repeatedly while it is in bud.
• Scale insects and whitefly can cause sticky honeydew and black sooty mould. Inspect leaf undersides and treat with an appropriately labelled horticultural soap or oil, repeating as directed.
• Root rot develops in persistently wet soil. Improve drainage, empty container saucers and replace badly damaged plants rather than continuing to water them.

Toxic to cats, dogs and horses if eaten. Plant material, particularly the fruit, contains compounds that can cause vomiting or diarrhoea; reactions are usually mild, but contact a vet after ingestion. It is not an edible plant for people, and swallowing it may cause stomach upset.

• Kleim's Hardy gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides 'Kleim's Hardy')

  Forms a more upright, rounded shrub and bears single white flowers with visible yellow stamens, rather than the low spreading growth and double flowers of 'Radicans'.

• Asiatic jasmine (Trachelospermum asiaticum)

  Makes long, trailing or climbing stems and has small, single, pinwheel-shaped flowers rather than double gardenia flowers. Broken stems release milky sap.

Gardenia honours the physician and naturalist Alexander Garden, jasminoides means jasmine-like, and Radicans refers to rooting stems.

Propagation. Take semi-ripe cuttings from healthy, non-flowering shoots in summer and root them in a moist, free-draining medium with warmth and high humidity. Low branches can also be layered; vegetative propagation preserves the cultivar.

Accepted botanical name

Gardenia jasminoides

In the US and Canada

Introduced in Pacific Basin and Puerto Rico.

Native range

Cambodia, China North-Central, China South-Central, China Southeast, East Himalaya, Hainan, Laos, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

Measured

Average height 300 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.