Gardenias

[Khadijah]

I just bought a gardenia and it had 3, nice, ready to bloom buds. But one by one they have all fallen off. I dont know if I didn't give enough water or too much or was it too much sun. Please help.

[aykhan]

So many factors can cause bud drop. In your case likely change of location.

[M Farooq]

I just bought a gardenia and it had 3, nice, ready to bloom buds. But one by one they have all fallen off. I dont know if I didn't give enough water or too much or was it too much sun. Please help.

Gardenias are very sensitive plants. Keep the soil moist, but over-watering is bad. Bud drop is very common when you change it's location. In the beginning, I would keep it in a partial shade and slowly move it to a sunny location. If you have already planted it in the soil, let it be.

Gardenia is not a natural plant of Pakistan. It is cultivated..hence we have to tolerate its tantrums.

[aykhan]

Only gardenia with zero tantrums in Pakistan is Gardenia taitensis and fortunately it is one of the largest flowered one. I have also noticed difficult gardenias doing excellent if grafted on taitensis. I have Mystery Improved and Miami Supreme and Gjellerupi grafted on taitensis and doing very well throughout winter and now in this heat of 47 degrees. Years of toil with gardenias have led me to the above mentioned conclusions. One more thing move to final location in winter dormancy and you won't have any problems.

[M Farooq]

Only gardenia with zero tantrums in Pakistan is Gardenia taitensis and fortunately it is one of the largest flowered one. I have also noticed difficult gardenias doing excellent if grafted on taitensis. I have Mystery Improved and Miami Supreme and Gjellerupi grafted on taitensis and doing very well throughout winter and now in this heat of 47 degrees. Years of toil with gardenias have led me to the above mentioned conclusions. One more thing move to final location in winter dormancy and you won't have any problems.

I totally agree with you. Tahitian Gardenia is very robust. It survives the climate of Karachi very well. I somewhat feel that its fragrance intensity is less than other imported Gardenias.

[aykhan]

In Lahore gardenia taitensis is extremely fragrant. All gardenias are extremely fragrant on my opinion. Even low fragrant ones are strong enough that there's no reason to compare degree of fragrance.

[M Farooq]

In Lahore gardenia taitensis is extremely fragrant. All gardenias are extremely fragrant on my opinion. Even low fragrant ones are strong enough that there's no reason to compare degree of fragrance.

I agree. I love to collect fragrant plants, however, I learnt the hard way that when people talk about fragrant plants, the degree of flower fragrance is quite dependent on the local weather where the plant is growing and of course on our personal biases. White Michelias are described as extremely fragrant on the internet esp. by the US seed sellers, however, the same plant in Karachi has pretty mild fragrance when compared to our local intensely fragrant motia/ jasmine/ and raat ki raani.

How would you rate white Michelia champaca's fragrance ? (a) Intense or (b) mild?

[aykhan]

I have had numerous blooms of Michelia Alba and Michelia champaca and I have found them to both be extremely fragrant. These are probably the most fragrant plants that I have. One flower is probably as fragrant as a quite few motias together. Champaca and Alba have different fragrances.

[mikhurram]

i have grown both grafted michelia alba and michelia golden champaca over the years. Fragrance of white alba is barely distinguishable and not worth spending the penny. The grafted Golden Champaca planted in ground bloomed but doesn't fare well in full sun and requires shade protection. Its fragrance was not visible from 1 feet distance.

Fragrance of both turned out to be disappointing along with Michelia Figo whose fragrance is over-rated.

Nothing beats the 5 most fragrant plants namely Cestrum Nocturnum, Tuberose, Motia, Jasmine Polyanthum and Gardenia.

[aykhan]

I would certainly disagree with mikhurram on the fragrance. Both michelias are exceptionally fragrant and match in quality to artabotrys hexapetalis as they too can me smelt literally from several feet away. Humidity helps and it is strongest early morning and evenings. Figo hasn't been that fragrant but once my figo had dozens of flowers and on that occasion I could smell the fragrance a couple of feet away.