Gardenia Flower

Gardenia flowers are white, waxy, fragrant flowers belonging to the genus Gardenia, which comprises 142 species of flowering plants. The Gardenia shrubs grow to a height of 6-8 feet and look great with their compact stems and dark green leaves. Native to the tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, Oceania, Australasia and southern Asia, these plants grow in places with only high humidity. Moreover, gardenia plants require bright light, but not direct light, so all these parameters make it difficult for these plants to grow everywhere.

Gardenia Flowers

These fragrant creamy-white flowers, surrounded by glossy leaves of the gardenia plant looks simply fascinating. Blooming from about mid-spring to mid-summer, i.e., May through July, these flowers are strongly scented and are found solitary or in cluster of white or pale yellow flowers. These flowers are followed by hexagonal, rich-orange color with long, elegant stems.

White gardenia flower arrangements are quite popular during wedding receptions as centerpieces. Gardenia with its white color gives a feeling of purity and sweetness and also stands for 'secret love'. Thus, the meaning of gardenia flower is 'secret love'. These flowers are placed in bowls with candles in bulk and bring about a gorgeous look. Let's not forget the bridal bouquet and other floral arrangements in the wedding reception hall.

Gardenia Flower Care

To get a gardenia flower to bloom, one needs to take into consideration four factors. These four factors are humidity, temperature, sunlight and fertilizer. Let's have a close look at these factors.

Humidity: Gardenia shrubs require high humidity levels. To maintain this humidity level, one should spray mist from a spray bottle daily onto the plant. For potted Gardenia shrubs, one can place the pot in a plastic plate of water and pebbles. This will help raise the humidity level around the plant.

Temperature: For the flowers to bloom, the temperature patterns should be between 65°F to 75°F during the day and between 55°F and 60°F at night. These temperature patterns are essential because the flowers do not bloom in hot weather, instead in warm weather.

Sunlight: In case of indoor gardenia shrubs, place the plant in a location such that it not only receives direct light, but also is not placed in direct light. If the shrub is going to be placed outside, make sure the location receives ample amounts of sunlight and that there are some heat stoppers that prevent the plant from receiving the sun's heat during the hottest part of the day.

Fertilizer: The phrase 'garbage in, garbage out', is quite relevant here. If you want a healthy gardenia shrub, you need to feed the plant with good quality fertilizer every two weeks. You can do this by getting a water soluble fertilizer solution. Use an acid based fertilizer every three months.

These gardenia plants are not very easy to grow. Gardeners often end up getting frustrated, when they see their gardenia buds falling off the plant or refusing to bloom. Bud dropping is mostly seen when the plant is relocated, as the plants are highly sensitive to touch and die when touched or moved. Moreover, improper watering can also lead to bud dropping. The best way to prevent bud dropping is to prevent relocation of plants, adequate watering and never allowing the plants to dry out. Proper watering, fertilizing and plant care will help prevent the gardenia buds from falling off. Gardenia flowers are prized for their sweet fragrance and pure white color. The next time you buy them, remember, that these flowers are not very easy to grow. This will help you appreciate them better!