Gardenia jasminoides 'Mystery'

Mystery Gardenia. This is the cultivar in the South by which all other Gardenias are measured. It has large 4-5" fragrant flowers on a vigorous upright habit which can reach upwards to 8'. It does well in sun or shade. Professor Fred Thode at Clemson always admonished his students that we should site Gardenias in the landscape so that they don't get early morning sun. This is because when they are heavily frozen on a cold winter morning, if sun immediately strikes them, it appears that they are thawed so rapidly, that it causes a rupturing of the cells of the leaf. Whether or not this is what actually happens, it is very obvious that there is far more cold damage on gardenias here when they are planted on an eastern exposure. When planted on the north or westerly side of a structure, even though it is colder, there is far less cold damage, because the plants tissue has already thawed by the time the sun strikes them. Thus, if one is trying to grow Gardenias out of their "range," one should take this into consideration. As with all Gardenias, one needs to keep eyes open for the ubiquitous white flies which have Gardenias as their filet mignon. The "honey dew" that the white flies secrete forms the perfect food for sooty mold, which can quickly renders a plant unsightly. Check with your local county agent for the recommendation in your area, but we have found that earthworm castings are absolutely the best control for these.

Zones 7b-10