Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Gardenia
Gardenia is an evergreen shrub with glossy leaves and large white flowers with a strong, sweet fragrance. In the Valley it blooms mainly in late spring and early summer. It grows best in a large pot in a shaded, east-facing spot, where the soil can be kept acidic and moist. It is a rewarding plant for an entry or courtyard.
Best for: a large pot in a shaded courtyard or entry, an east-facing spot, and fragrance near a door or seating area.
It grows best here in a pot at least 2 feet across, filled with rich potting soil. A pot lets you keep the soil acidic and moist and move it out of hot sun.
Set it on an east side or in a shaded courtyard, where it gets morning sun and no afternoon sun. The fragrance carries well near a door.
Large white flowers with a strong, sweet scent open mainly from May into July in the Valley. It can bloom again in fall.
Valley soil and water are too alkaline for it, so leaves turn yellow in the ground. It struggles above about 110°F and drops buds when it dries out or gets too hot.
- Hedge or bed row4 ft apart
- Looser planting6 ft apart
Keep the soil evenly moist. In summer, water every day or every other day, and add a thick layer of mulch twice a year.
Give it an east side or a shaded courtyard. It cannot handle summer afternoon sun.
Feed with an acid plant food in mid-March and late June, not in fall. If leaves turn yellow, add soil sulfur to lower the pH.
It needs very little pruning. Shape it lightly after it blooms if needed.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
Can gardenias grow in Phoenix?
Yes, with extra care. Grow it in a large pot of rich potting soil, in shade, and keep the soil evenly moist.
Where should I plant it?
An east side or a shaded courtyard, with no afternoon sun. Hot west or afternoon sun burns it.
How often should I water it?
Keep the soil evenly moist. In summer that usually means watering every day or every other day. Never let it dry out.
Why are the leaves turning yellow?
Alkaline soil is the usual cause. Feed it an acid fertilizer, and add soil sulfur to lower the pH around the roots.
Why are the buds falling off?
Bud drop comes from low humidity, too much or too little water, too little light, or heat. Keep watering steady and give it bright shade.
When should I fertilize it?
Use an acid plant food in mid-March and again in late June. Do not feed it in fall.
What size pot does it need?
At least 2 feet across, so the soil does not dry out too fast and the roots have room.
When does it bloom?
Mainly from May into July in the Valley, with some bloom in fall. The flowers are large, white and highly fragrant.
How cold hardy is it?
It is rated to about 20°F. Move potted plants under cover on the coldest nights.
Gardenia for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Gardenia is a fragrant evergreen shrub that takes extra care in the Valley. This page covers shade, pots, water, acid soil, feeding, yellow leaves and bud drop.
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Growing gardenias in Phoenix
Gardenias struggle with Valley heat, alkaline soil and salty water. Grow one in a large pot of rich potting soil, in shade, with steady water.
How often to water a gardenia in summer
Water every day or every other day in summer to keep the soil evenly moist. A layer of mulch helps hold moisture.
Why gardenia leaves turn yellow
Alkaline soil is the usual cause. Use an acid plant food and soil sulfur to lower the pH around the roots.
Gardenia bud drop
Buds drop from low humidity, uneven watering, too little light or heat. Keep watering steady and the plant in bright shade.
Best spot for a gardenia
An east side or shaded courtyard with no afternoon sun. A pot lets you move it if it gets too much sun.
When to fertilize gardenias in Arizona
Feed with acid plant food in mid-March and late June, and skip fall feeding.
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