Common Name: Gardenia

General Information

Gardenia jasminoides is an evergreen shrub or small tree that can grow up to 12 metres tall, but is usually much shorter[]. It produces heavily fragrant flowers over a long period of the year[].
Widely grown in the tropics, subtropics and warm temperate areas as an ornamental plant, it is also cultivated in Indian gardens, in Central and S China and in the Pacific islands for its various other uses[]. The essential oil is traded internationally, whilst the dye from the fruit is traded locally[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia - southern China, Japan, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam.

Habitat

Thickets and forests at stream sides, on mountain slopes, on hills, or in valleys and fields at elevations of 10 - 1,500 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	3.00 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Originally a species from warm temperate climates, in tropical areas it grows well, at elevations from 400 - 1,200 metres[]. It flowers poorly or not at all in tropical lowland areas[].
Prefers an acidic soil rich in organic matter[]. Prefers a sunny position[]. Grows best in a moist but well-drained soil with a pH in the range 6 - 7[].
Seedling plants can commence flowering when 1 year old[].

Edible Uses

The fragrant flowers are used for scenting tea[, ]. They are also sometimes eaten raw as a delicacy, pickled or preserved in honey[].

Fruiy - the pulp is eaten[]. The pulp of the fruit is used in China and Japan for colouring food yellow[]. Some extracts are commercially available in Japan where they are used to colour boiled beans, fish eggs, hot cakes, liquor, sweet, ices, noodles, candies and imitation crab[].

Medicinal

The whole plant is antispasmodic, antiperiodic, cathartic, anthelmintic and external-antiseptic[, ].

The leaves and fruit possess antibacterial, antifebrile, demulcent cholagogic and diuretic properties[].
A decoction of the fruit , sometimes in combination with Adenosma glutinosum, is used in treating diseases of the kidneys and lungs, fevers, jaundice, epistaxis, sore throat, haemoptysis, constipation, bloody stools, dysuria, inflammations, burns, boils and impetigo[, , ].
A poultice of the pounded fresh leaves is an effective treatment for wounds, phlegmon and acute conjunctivitis[]. The leaves are applied in febrifugous poultices[].
The leaves can be harvested all the year round. After being well washed, they are dried in the sun or in dryers[].

The roots are dysenteric[]. They are used to treat headache, dyspepsia, nervous disorders, and fever[, ].

The leaves and fruit contain glucosides (gardenoside, gentiobioside, geniposide, crocin, gardenin) ; tannin ; essential oil ; pectin ; beta-sitosterol; mannitol; nonacosane[].
The bark contains beta-sitosterol and nonakosane, the leaves and flowers contain mannit[].
The seeds contain starch and an oil which is principally composed of palmitic, oleic and linoleic acid[].

Agroforestry Uses:

Planted as a hedge and windbreak[, ].

Other Uses

An essential oil is extracted from the flowers. It is used in perfumery[, ]. It is the base of Gardenia perfumes, blending with Jasmine (Jasminum spp) and Tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa)[]. It is also blended with synthetic oils[]. About 3 - 4,000 kg of flowers produce 1 kg concrete and 500gr absolute oil[]. The fragrance of the essential oil is mainly due to the presence of styrene acetate[].

The fruits are the source of a yellow dye[, ]. Mainly used as a colouring for food, occasionally textiles are dyed yellow or scarlet, although the colour is rather impermanent[].
The colouring matter in the fruits contains a glycoside, which is identical with crocetin from saffron (Crocus sativus)[]. This carotenoid pigment can be extracted from cape jasmine in larger quantities than from saffron, and without the accompanying flavours; this has led to the development of 'gardenia extracts' as a pigment source[].

Propagation

Seed -
Greenwood cuttings.
Cuttings of ripe wood, taken with a heel, in a sandy medium[].

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