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Cape Jasmine 'Kleim's Hardy'

Gardenia jasminoides (gar-DEE-nee-ah jaz-min-OY-deez)

Family: Rubiaceae Unknown Shrub (3-15 ft)

‘Kleim's Hardy’ gardenia is a woody perennial cultivar in the Rubiaceae (coffee) family. The parent plant is native to southern China and Japan. It can be a houseplant or planted outdoors in zones 7 to 11. When planted outdoors, it prefers morning sun with afternoon shade. It can tolerate full sun but use organic mulch to protect the roots. This gardenia does best in consistently moist, well-drained, acidic soil that is organically rich. Soils that are too alkaline will cause chlorosis (yellowing) of leaves. Propagate by stem cutting. It is distinguished by showy, highly fragrant, white flowers shown off by bright golden stamens and thick, lustrous, dark emerald-green foliage. The compact size of the ‘Kleim’s Hardy’ gardenia makes it ideal for growing in a container, small spaces, and beside a patio or walkway. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Aphids, mealybugs, scale, spider mites, and whiteflies can be a problem. The plant also can suffer from anthracnose, leaf spots, powdery mildew, and sooty mold. The Clemson Cooperative Extension Home and Garden Information Center has a factsheet on common gardenia diseases and other problems. VIDEO Created by Elizabeth Meyer for "Trees, Shrubs and Conifers," a plant identification course developed in partnership with Longwood Gardens. More information on Gardenia jasminoides .

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 52 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 3 - Shrub (3-15 ft) Optimal soil pH Acid (<6.0)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Fills a similar niche Gardenia jasminoides Gardenia jasminoides 'Crown Jewel' Gardenia jasminoides 'Jubilation'

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Perennial; Shrub
Life cycle
Woody
USDA zones
7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
3 feet-6 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 2 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in. | Width: 2 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
High
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Mounding; Rounded
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite; Whorled
Leaf shape
Lanceolate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Glossy; Leathery
Hairs present
No
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; White
Flower value
Fragrant; Good Cut
Flower form
Head
Flower shape
Star
Flower detail
Single star-like ivory flowers that are up to 2 inches across with bright golden stamens
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit color
Orange
Fruit type
Berry
Fruit size
1-3 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Wildlife value
Gardenia hips attract birds and other wildlife.
Attracts
Bees; Songbirds
Play value
Attractive Flowers; Fragrance; Wildlife Food Source
Food & Medicine
Fruit type
Berry
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Container; Patio; Small Space; Walkways
Landscape theme
Asian Garden; Children's Garden; Cutting Garden; Garden for the Blind; Nighttime Garden
Design feature
Border; Specimen
Garden tags
#evergreen #children's garden #dwarf #fragrant flowers #flower arrangements #showy flowers #high maintenance #well-drained soil #border planting #deer resistant #mounding #rounded #white flowers #shrub #star shaped flowers #partial shade tolerant #container plant #rich soils #border front #interiorscape #playground plant #cutting garden #frequent disease problems #frequent insect problems #patio #bat friendly #moth friendly
Problems & Resistance
Insect problems
Whiteflies Found on Flowers and Foliage; Pests of Gardenia; Citrus Whitefly; Aphids Found on Flowers and Foliage; Thrips Found on Flowers and Foliage; Barnacle Scale; Banded Greenhouse Thrips
Disease problems
Anthracnose diseases of trees
Problems
Frequent Disease Problems; Frequent Insect Problems
Resistant to
Deer

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.