Magnifica Gardenia

Magnifica Gardenia (Gardenia augusta 'Magnifica') carries the largest flowers of the common gardenias: broad, waxy white blooms with the full intoxicating perfume, set against deep glossy green foliage. It grows to about 1.8m tall and 1.5m wide, making it the pick for a taller fragrant hedge or a feature shrub by a door or window, anywhere the scent can ambush people on warm evenings.

Why you'll love it

• The biggest blooms in the family. Individual flowers reach hand size, opening pure white and ageing to cream through the warm months.
• That perfume. One shrub in flower scents a whole courtyard; three along a path is an event.
• A hedge with presence. At 1.8m it screens a fence line or frames a garden room while staying comfortably below privacy hedge scale.
• Glossy all year. The lacquered evergreen foliage looks groomed even out of flower.
• Thrives in warm humidity. Where many exotics sulk in sticky summers, gardenias hit their stride.

Where it works best

Fragrant hedging. Plant 1m apart for a solid perfumed hedge; a 5m run takes 5 or 6 plants.

Feature planting. Beside the front door, under a bedroom window, at the outdoor table: put it where the scent works for you.

Pots and courtyards. A 40cm to 50cm pot suits it for years and lets balcony gardeners in on the perfume.

Growing Magnifica Gardenia in Australia

Position and climate. Morning sun with light afternoon protection is ideal; full sun is fine on the coast with mulch and water. It thrives in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens, and takes light frost only, so inland cold calls for a warm wall or a pot.

Soil. Slightly acidic, rich and well drained. Work compost through before planting, mulch 75mm deep, and never dig around the shallow roots.

Water and feed. Keep moisture even through the warm months; stressed gardenias drop buds. Feed with an azalea and gardenia fertiliser in early spring and again in midsummer.

Pruning. Lightly shape after the main flush finishes in late summer to early autumn. Little and often beats hard cuts.

What to expect when it arrives

Magnifica ships in everything from $10.95 tubes and 140mm packs of 10 (the budget route to a full hedge) through 200mm packs of 6 and single 300mm shrubs, up to advanced 45L plants, grown to order at times and shown as backorder, which arrive as an instant flowering feature. Delivery is Australia wide, from $29.95, with a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Warm season deliveries often arrive in bud. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the full gardenia range
• More fragrant plants
• Compare hedging and screening plants

Common questions

Why are the leaves going yellow?

Usually magnesium or iron hunger, common in gardenias, especially in pots and alkaline soils. A dose of Epsom salts or iron chelate greens the new growth within weeks, and regular acid feeding prevents it.

Why do the buds drop before opening?

Moisture swings while buds form. Mulch well and water evenly, particularly in pots, and bud drop largely stops.

How is Magnifica different from Florida?

Size, in both plant and flower. Florida sits near 1.2m with mid sized blooms; Magnifica reaches about 1.8m with noticeably larger flowers, so it suits taller hedges and bigger walls of scent.

Is it safe around pets?

No. Gardenias are toxic to cats and dogs if eaten, so site it away from pets that chew plants, or choose from our pet safe range instead.