Summer Snow® Gardenia

The Summer Snow® Gardenia is a classic-looking gardenia, with pure-white, double flowers that are full of that delicious fragrance no other flower can match. Unlike older varieties, though, this one is super hardy, likely into zone 5, will grow in all light conditions, and is drought tolerant and pest resistant. It grows about 4 inches a year to mature as much as 5 feet tall and wide – imagine how gorgeous that is going to be in your garden. The lush evergreen foliage is rich green and glossy, and looks handsome even when the plant isn’t in flower. Blooms typically come through May and June, but timing will vary depending on your local climate. Plant it among azaleas and rhododendrons, or in front of camellias – they all enjoy the same conditions. Plant a row as a spectacular flowering hedge, or grow it in a pot, which you could place by the front door when in flower. A beautiful gardenia, and so tough, reliable and easy to grow.

• Beautiful double white flowers have thick, waxy petals
• Amazing fragrance floods your garden with pleasure
• A full, rounded bush up to 5 feet tall and wide
• Cold hardy into zone 5, and drought tolerant too
• Thrives in acidic soils and partial shade, from full sun to full shade

In cooler zones plant the Summer Snow® Gardenia in full sun, and in warmer areas provide some afternoon shade, or even light shade all day long. The soil should be rich and acidic, well-drained but moist. This variety has more drought tolerance than is typical, but it appreciates soil that is moist but not wet, so don’t over-water it. If you don’t have acidic soil, grow it in a pot, using potting soil for acid-loving plants. The pot can be left outside all winter down to zone 7. In colder areas bury it in the garden for winter, or keep in a cold porch. Fertilizer after flowering is over, and that’s a good time to trim it too, if you want to. Don’t trim in summer or fall, as this will reduce flowering. Usually free of pests or diseases, this variety is unusually tough, so a great choice if you have been disappointed with gardenias in the past.