Gardenia plants are prized for the strong sweet scent of their flowers, which can be very large in size in some species.
Gardenia jasminoides (syn.
G. grandiflora,
G. florida) is cultivated as a house plant. This species can be difficult to grow because it originated in warm humid tropical areas. It demands high
humidity to thrive, and bright (but not direct) light. It flourishes in
acidic soils with good drainage and thrives on temperatures of during the day and in the evening.
Potting soils developed especially for gardenias are available.
G. jasminoides grows no larger than 18 inches in height and width when grown indoors. In climates where it can be grown outdoors, it can attain a height of 6 feet. If water touches the flowers, they will turn brown. In Eastern Asia,
Gardenia jasminoides is called () in China, () in Korea, and () in Japan. Its fruit is used as a yellow
dye, used on fabric and food (including the Korean
mung bean jelly called
hwangpomuk). Its fruits are also used in traditional
Chinese medicine for their clearing, calming, and cooling properties. In
France, gardenias are the flower traditionally worn by men as
boutonnière when in
evening dress. In
The Age of Innocence,
Edith Wharton suggests it was customary for upper-class men from New York City to wear a gardenia in their buttonhole during the
Gilded Age.
Sigmund Freud remarked to the poet
H.D. that gardenias were his favorite flower. In
tiki culture, Donn Beach, aka
Don the Beachcomber, frequently wore a fresh lei of gardenias almost every day at his
tiki bars, allegedly spending $7,800 for flowers over the course of four years in 1938. He named one of his drinks the mystery gardenia cocktail.
Trader Vic frequently used the gardenia as a flower garnish in his
tiki drinks, such as in the
scorpion and outrigger tiara cocktails. Several species occur in
Hawaii, where gardenias are known as
nau or
nānū.
Hattie McDaniel famously wore gardenias in her hair when she accepted an
Academy Award, the first for an African American, for
Gone with the Wind.
Mo'Nique Hicks later wore gardenias in her hair when she won her Oscar, as a tribute to McDaniel. ==Gallery==