Frost Proof Gardenia

Creamy white, intensely fragrant double blooms on a gardenia bred to shrug off the cold snaps that finish off lesser varieties.

The Frost Proof Gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides 'Frost Proof') brings the classic Southern perfume garden within reach of cooler gardens. From late spring into early summer it covers itself in pristine, rose-form double flowers whose sweet, heady fragrance carries on warm evenings. The blooms stand against glossy, deep green evergreen foliage that holds its color year-round, on a tidy, rounded shrub reaching 3 to 4 feet tall and 3 to 5 feet wide. Its narrower leaves and notably bud-hardy habit help it set flowers reliably even after a late chill, making it a dependable choice for foundations, fragrant borders, and entryways where you brush past it daily.

Why growers choose the Frost Proof Gardenia

• Famous fragrance. The double white blooms release the rich, sweet gardenia perfume the genus is loved for, perfect near a patio, walkway, or open window.
• Cold-resilient buds. Bred for improved bud hardiness, it flowers more reliably than older gardenias when spring weather turns unpredictable.
• Evergreen year-round. Lustrous, dark green leaves stay on the plant through every season, giving structure and color long after the flowers fade.
• Compact, rounded habit. At 3 to 4 feet tall it stays in scale beside a doorway or along a low hedge without constant cutting back.
• Cut-flower quality. A single bloom floated in a bowl scents an entire room, and the flowers hold beautifully indoors.

Plant it where its scent will be appreciated up close: flanking a front entry, lining a path, anchoring a mixed shrub border, or filling a large container on a sunny patio. In warm-climate gardens it also makes a graceful low, fragrant hedge.