Four Seasons Gardenia

Four Seasons Gardenia (Gardenia augusta 'Four Seasons') is the gardenia bred to keep flowering rather than give you one heavy spring flush and then stop. It settles at about 1m tall and wide, so it works as a low hedge or a pot plant beside a door where the scent gets used. Glossy dark foliage carries the plant between flushes of white double blooms.

Why you'll love it

• Fragrance across the warm months. Flowers come in repeated flushes from spring into autumn instead of a single short season.
• A hedge you can actually reach over. At 1m by 1m it makes a low fragrant border without ever needing a ladder or a hedge trimmer.
• Built for humidity and heat. Tropical and subtropical summers suit it, which is where a lot of flowering shrubs struggle.
• Genuinely low maintenance. Beyond a feed and a light tidy after flowering, it asks very little once the roots are down.

Where it works best

Low hedging and borders. Plant 60cm apart for a dense fragrant hedge. That spacing closes over in about two seasons and keeps every plant reachable from one side.

Pots, balconies and courtyards. A pot 400mm or wider is enough for years of growth, and putting it near a doorway or seat is the whole point of a scented plant.

Mass planting. Used in a block at the same 60cm spacing it gives an even, glossy layer under taller shrubs and small trees.

Growing Four Seasons Gardenia in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to part shade in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens, with a little afternoon shade helping in the hottest inland spots. It takes light frost only, so cool temperate and hard frosting districts should grow it in a pot that can shelter over winter.

Soil. It wants a slightly acidic, free draining soil with compost through it. Yellow leaves with green veins mean the soil is too alkaline, and are fixed with iron chelates or a fertiliser blended for acid loving plants.

Water and feed. Deep watering twice a week through the first summer, then as needed. Feed in early spring and again after the main flush, and keep 75mm of mulch clear of the stem to hold moisture.

Pruning. Tip prune lightly after each flush to keep it compact and encourage the next round of buds. Bud drop is usually a sign of dry roots or sudden temperature swings, not a disease.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in two sizes: single tubestock, and 140mm plants sold in packs of ten. Tubes are young, often 100mm to 200mm tall, and they are the sensible buy for a long hedge line where price per plant matters. The 140mm packs are further along and will fill a border a season sooner.

Some leaf yellowing after transit is normal and the plant grows out of it. Expect a settling period of two to three weeks, then new growth. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• The complete gardenia care guide for Australian gardens
• Compare every gardenia in the range
• Browse other fragrant plants
• Plants that do well in pots

Common questions

Is it safe around cats and dogs?

No. Gardenias are toxic to cats and dogs if the leaves or berries are eaten, and can cause vomiting and lethargy. Plant it where a pet that chews foliage cannot reach it.

How far apart for a low hedge?

Sixty centimetres apart in a single row. The canopies meet within about two seasons and the base stays furnished instead of thinning out.

Why are the leaves turning yellow?

Most often the soil pH has drifted too high, which locks up iron. Feed with an acid loving plant fertiliser and check drainage, since wet roots produce the same symptom.