August Beauty Gardenia

Gardenia jasminoides ‘August Beauty’

Plant Details

USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 8a-11 (7B?) Find Your Zone

Shrub Type: Evergreen Flowering Shrub

Height at Maturity: 6-8′

Width at Maturity: 4-6′

Spacing: 4′ for solid hedge; 8’+ for space between plants

Growth Habit / Form: Bushy, Dense, Mounding, Upright

Flower Color: White

Flower Size: Large, 3″

Flowering Period: Mid- to Late-Spring, Summer

Flower Type: Double

Fragrant Flowers: Yes – extremely fragrant!

Foliage Color: Dark Green

Fragrant Foliage: No

Berries: No

Berry Color: NA

Sun Needs: Morning Sun with Afternoon Shade or Filtered Sun, All Day Filtered Sun

Water Needs: Average, Lower when established

Soil Type: Clay (amended), Loam, Sand (amended), Silt

Soil Moisture / Drainage: Well Drained Moist

Soil pH: 4.5 – 6.0 (Acid)

Maintenance / Care: Low

Attracts: Visual Attention

Resistances: Deer – more info, Drought (when established), Heat, Humidity, Insect

Description

The largest growing and most impressive Gardenia we offer, ‘August Beauty’ is a double-flowered variety that produces an abundance of large (3″ diameter), pure white flowers from mid-spring into summer that fill the garden with wonderful aroma to die for. The flowers are excellent for cutting and use in indoor arrangements. The very lustrous and dark green arrow-shape leaves of August Beauty contrast nicely with other plants with a finer texture and lighter color foliage.

Landscape & Garden Uses

Growing to 6 to 8 feet tall and 5 to 6 feet wide, the August Beauty Gardenia is ideal for use as an accent, in groupings, or as a wonderfully fragrant hedge in home foundation plantings and landscape borders. Because they like a break from the midday afternoon sun and cold northwesterly winds, Gardenia are best planted on the east side of the home or other structures. Needless to say, these fragrant wonders are a fine addition to sensory gardens and near windows or outdoor living spaces where the fragrance can be enjoyed.

Suggested Spacing: 4 feet apart for solid hedge; 8 feet or more apart for space between plants

Note: For our customers who live and garden north of USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 8a, where this Gardenia variety is not reliably winter hardy outdoors, you can enjoy it in containers that can be moved indoors during winter and placed back outside when temperatures warm up in spring.

Cultural Preferences

Gardenia are exceptionally easy to grow in moist but well-drained soils of average fertility and part sun, preferably morning sun with some shade or filtered sun in the mid afternoon hours. The east side of the home or other areas that provide some afternoon shade are perfect. As with so many other ornamental plants, constantly soggy or wet soils can cause root rot or other plant diseases.

Soil pH is important!

To flower their best and maintain deep green foliage color, all Gardenia require an acid to moderately acid soil ranging from 4.5 to 6.0 on the pH scale. If your soil is alkaline foliage will turn pale-green to yellow and flowering will be diminished.

Soil pH is a measurement of the alkalinity or acidity of soil and is measured on a scale of 1-14, with 7 as the neutral mark. Any measurement below 7 indicates acid soil conditions, and anything above 7 indicates alkaline. If you’re unsure about the pH of your soil and whether or not it’s suitable for growing Gardenia it’s a good idea to test the soil pH in the planting area.

You can quickly test soil pH with an inexpensive soil pH tester probe. To raise the pH (make more alkaline) you can add pelletized limestone to the soil. To lower the pH (make more acid) you can apply Soil Sulfur, Aluminum Sulfate, or Chelated Iron. Adding organic compost to the soil or using compost as mulch can also help to increase acidity and maintain acid soil conditions.

Learn More: What is Soil pH & How To Test & Adjust It

Helpful Articles

Click on the link below to find helpful advice from our experts on how to plant and care for Gardenias.

How To Plant & Care For Gardenias

Plant Long & Prosper!

Meet The Wilson Brothers & Staff

Questions? Contact Us

I ordered this plant as a gift for my mother. There was a slight delay in shipping but I contacted Wilson Bros and they were quick to reply and get things moving. The plant arrived at my mom’s house in great condition. During the frigid Wisconsin winters it can be a little scary to order live plants, but it was wonderfully packaged and doing just fine upon arrival. I can’t wait to see and smell the beautiful blossoms!——————————————-Thanks for the photo. We are so glad you are pleased and we hope your mother enjoys it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

My first bloom appeared today.
I bought 2 plants for my Mother’s Day gift.————————————–We are so glad you are pleased with your purchase! Thanks for the great review! Happy Mother’s Day to you!! Beth | WBG 🙂