Frost Proof Gardenia
Gardenia jasminoides ‘Frost Proof’
Plant Details
USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 7a-11 (6a-6b?) Find Your Zone
Shrub Type: Evergreen Flowering Shrub
Height at Maturity: 3-4′
Width at Maturity: 3-4′
Spacing: 3′ apart for solid hedge; 6’+ apart for space between plants
Growth Habit / Form: Bushy, Dense, Mounding, Upright
Flower Color: White
Flower Size: 3″
Flowering Period: Spring, Early Summer
Flower Type: Double
Fragrant Flowers: Yes – extremely fragrant!
Foliage Color: Dark Green
Fragrant Foliage: No
Berries: No
Berry Color: NA
Sun Needs: Morning Sun with Afternoon Shade or Filtered Sun, All Day Filtered Sun
Water Needs: Average, Lower when established
Soil Type: Clay (amended), Loam, Sand (amended), Silt
Soil Moisture / Drainage: Well Drained Moist
Soil pH: 5.0- 6.5 (Acid)
Maintenance / Care: Low
Attracts: Visual Attention
Resistances: Deer – more info, Drought (when established), Heat, Humidity, Insect
Description
With flowers that are unaffected by late cold snaps and plants that thrive on neglect, the Frost Proof Gardenia was the winner of the 2007 Garden Writers Best Plants Award for very good reason. An abundance of double, pinwheel-like flowers are produced from spring into summer and exude that sweet, heavenly fragrance gardenia lovers love. If you’ve never grown a gardenia, it’s a fragrance that captivates. What’s more, the flowers of Frostproof are great for cutting, lasting longer in the vase than the flowers of other gardenia varieties. The upright bushy plants are unique in that they have a narrower leaf similar to that of G. radicans.
Landscape & Garden Uses
Growing 3 to 4 feet tall and wide, the Frost Proof Gardenia is ideal for use as an accent, in groupings, or as a hedge in home foundation plantings and landscape borders. Because they like a break from the midday afternoon sun, and cold northwesterly winter winds, gardenias are best planted on the east side of the home or other structures. Needless to say gardenias are a fine addition for sensory gardens and near windows or outdoor living spaces where the sweet fragrance can be enjoyed.
Suggested Spacing: 3 feet apart for solid hedge; 6 feet or more apart for space between plants
Note: For our customers who live and garden north of USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 8a, where this Gardenia variety is not reliably winter hardy outdoors, you can enjoy growing it in containers that can be moved indoors during winter and placed back outside when temperatures warm up in spring.
Growing Preferences
Gardenia are exceptionally easy to grow in moist but well-drained soils of average fertility and part sun, preferably morning sun with some shade or filtered sun in the mid afternoon hours. As with so many other ornamental plants, constantly soggy or wet soils can cause root rot or other plant diseases. The east side of the home or other tall structure is a perfect spot. USDA Zones: 7a-11 Find Your Zone
Soil pH is important!
To flower their best and maintain deep green foliage color, all Gardenia require an acid to moderately acid soil ranging from 4.5 to 6.0 on the pH scale. Alkaline soil cause yellowing of foliage and flowering will be diminished.
Soil pH is a measurement of the alkalinity or acidity of soil and is measured on a scale of 1-14, with 7 as the neutral mark. Any measurement below 7 indicates acid soil conditions, and anything above 7 indicates alkaline. If you’re unsure about the pH of your soil and whether or not it’s suitable for growing Gardenia it’s a good idea to test the soil pH in the planting area. You can quickly test soil pH with an inexpensive soil pH tester probe or kit.
To lower the pH (make more acid) you can apply Soil Sulfur, Aluminum Sulfate, or Chelated Iron. Adding organic compost to the soil or using compost as mulch can also help to increase acidity and maintain acid soil conditions.
Learn More: What is Soil pH & How To Test & Adjust It
Helpful Articles
Click the link below to find helpful advice from our experts on how to plant, fertilize, prune and water Gardenia plants.
How To Plant & Care For Gardenias
Plant Long & Prosper!
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