Steady As She Goes Gardenia
Gardenia jasminoides ‘Prince Charles’ USPP 29,304
Plant Details
USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 7a-11 Find Your Zone
Shrub Type: Evergreen Flowering Shrub
Height at Maturity: 4-5′
Width at Maturity: 5-7′
Spacing: 4-5′ apart for solid hedge; 10′ or more apart for space between plants
Growth Habit / Form: Rounded Mound
Flower Color: White
Flower Size: Large 3-4″
Flowering Period: Continuously from Spring to Fall!
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, Has performed well in mid-Georgia with sun until 4:00 in the afternoon!
Water Needs: Average, lower when established
Soil Type: Clay (amend heavy clay to ensure good drainage), Loam, Sandy (amend quick draining soil for moisture retention), Silt
Soil Moisture / Drainage: Moist But Well Drained
Soil pH: 4.5- 6.0 (Acid)
Maintenance / Care: Low
Attracts: Visual Attention
Resistances: Cold Temperatures (0F / Zone 7a-11), Deer – more info, Disease, Drought (when established), Heat, Humidity
Description
There have been quite a few new Gardenia introductions over the past couple decades but none that combine cold and heat hardiness and longevity of bloom and fragrance like the Steady as She Goes Gardenia. She can take the cold to USDA Zone 7a (0F), the heat to Miami, FL, and blooms continuously from spring all the way to frost! What do the double, crown-shaped white flowers smell like? Words simply can’t describe the cloud of intoxicating perfume, and you can smell them from 100 feet away. Dark green lustrous leaves on a rounded mound that might reach 5 feet tall and 7 feet wide serve as an excellent backdrop to the flowers. With an annual pruning in early spring she can be kept at 2/3 that size. Gardenia do best in part shade, with some filtered sun or shade during the hot midafternoon hours. We suggest at least 4 hours of direct or 6 hours of lightly filtered sunlight per day.
Landscape & Garden Uses
Growing in a dense mound about 4 to 5 feet tall and 5 to 7 feet wide, the Steady As She Goes Gardenia is ideal for use as a specimen or in groupings or as a hedge in partially shaded landscape borders and home foundation plantings. She can also be grown in containers but keep in mind that there will be a loss of 10 to 20 degrees F in cold hardiness, which means hardy to maybe Zone 8a in pots. Whatever you do, make sure to plant this one near outdoor sitting areas or open windows near the home where the fragrance can be enjoyed all season long.
Suggested Spacing: 4 to 5 feet apart for solid hedge; 10 feet or more apart for space between plants
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 midafternoon hours. At least 4 hours of direct or 6 hours of lightly filtered sunlight is suggested per day. As with so many other ornamental plants, constantly soggy or wet soils can cause root rot or other plant diseases.
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. If your soil is alkaline foliage will turn pale-green to yellow 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. To raise the pH (make more alkaline) you can add pelletized limestone to the soil. 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 on 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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This new gardenia arrived quickly and as usual from Wilson Brothers it was packaged extremely well with no damage to a very healthy plant. It is in the ground and doing well. I am looking forward to it’s mature size. It will be impressive.————————————————————–We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG
my steady as she goes gardenias arrived shortly after I ordered them, covered with buds, yes buds, not bugs. the blooms of this gardenia are multi petaled and very fragrant. I’m thrilled with how they look.————————————————-Thanks for the awesome review! We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG



















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