Evergreen East Asian shrub with glossy dark green leaves and intensely fragrant pure-white waxy flowers in early summer (and often again in autumn). Among the most powerfully fragrant flowers in cultivation.
Hardiness ratings
| System | Rating | Temperature range | How to read it |
|---|---|---|---|
| USDA hardiness zone | Zone 8–11 | −12.2 °C to 10 °C | Plant tolerates down to this zone |
| RHS hardiness rating | H2 | 1 °C to 5 °C | Plant needs at least this level of cold tolerance |
| Canadian plant hardiness zone | Zone 9 | −1 °C and warmer | Plant tolerates down to this zone |
| Australian (ANBG) zone | Zone 3–6 | −5 °C to 15 °C | Plant tolerates down to this zone |
Growing notes
- Native to China, Vietnam, and Japan despite the "Cape" in one common name
- Demanding cultivation — needs acidic soil, warm humid conditions, sheltered position; chlorotic and miserable on alkaline soils, leaves yellow visibly if pH is wrong
- Strongly fragrant — flowers are the classic corsage flower of mid-20th-century formal occasions
- Cultivar ‘August Beauty’ is the standard reliable garden form
Categories
Related plants
Cross-check Common gardenia (Cape jasmine) against your zones