Gardenia 'Frost Proof'

Gardenia 'Frost Proof' is a broadleaf evergreen shrub offering year-round interest. The dense, lustrous dark green foliage looks gorgeous all year long, adding beautiful structure, texture, and color to the landscape. However, gardenias are usually grown for their profuse flowers that bloom over an extended time, starting in early summer. And 'Frost Proof' has large, 2- to 3-inch semidouble blooms that are big, pure white, and highly fragrant with a pungently sweet scent. The showy flowers attract bees and make exceptional cuts for indoor display. Place cut flowers in a cool spot and mist frequently with water. Short-stemmed flowers can be floated in shallow bowls or worn as a corsage.

A Gardenia jasminoides, commonly called gardenia or cape jasmine, 'Frost Proof' has a dense, upright, bushy habit and a slow, steady growth rate. It makes a gorgeous specimen or container plant and is a lovely addition to beds and borders. And it is a wonderful flowering hedge or foundation plant.

Cold hardy for a gardenia, 'Frost Proof' grows best in sunny to partly shady locations with humus rich, acidic, moist, well-draining soil, but it tolerates clay, loam, and sandy soils. Some afternoon shade may be beneficial in hot climates. Keep the shrub moist until established then water deeply and less frequently as needed during the growing season. Fertilize in spring after blooming using a food for acid-loving plants. Deer resistant.