Cape jasmine

Gardenia jasminoides, cape jasmine or gandhraj, is the glossy-leaved garden shrub with waxy white flowers and a rich, creamy scent. It is native to southern China and Japan, not the Cape, despite the name. Its orange fruits are a traditional source of yellow food colour in East Asia.

Botanical name

Gardenia jasminoides J.Ellis

Family

Rubiaceae

Tamil

Kandhi

Hindi

Gandhraj

Parts used

Flowers (scent)

Habit

Waxy gardenia; jasmine is a shop word

Last updated

2026-10-25

How to recognise Cape jasmine

It is an evergreen shrub with opposite or whorled, glossy, dark green leaves.

The flowers are large, white, waxy and intensely fragrant, single in wild forms and fully double in most garden varieties. They turn cream and then yellow as they age.

The fruit is oval, ribbed and orange, crowned with long persistent sepals.

Boxwood gardenia, Gardenia latifolia, is a native Indian tree with very broad leaves.

Traditional use of Cape jasmine

Gardening and worship

In India it is grown in gardens and pots for its scent, and the flowers are worn in the hair and offered in worship.

Indian garden practice

East Asian dye

The dried fruit, zhi zi in Chinese, gives a yellow dye used for food and cloth, and appears in traditional Chinese medicine.

Chinese practice

Modern notes on Cape jasmine

Gardenia yellow, from the fruit, is a commercial natural food colour in Asia. Its colour comes from crocin, the same pigment as in saffron.

Genipin from the fruit is studied as a natural cross-linking agent and blue colourant.

Cape jasmine safety

Grow it for scent. Do not eat fruit or leaves from ornamental plants.

Ecology and sourcing

It is native to southern China, Taiwan, Japan and Indochina.

It needs acidic soil. In alkaline Indian soils its leaves often turn yellow, a sign of iron deficiency.

Related plants

Also in Rubiaceae

Questions about Cape jasmine

Is Cape jasmine jasmine?

No. It is a gardenia, in the coffee family; jasmine is in the olive family.

What older names does Gardenia jasminoides go by?

Gardenia augusta and Gardenia florida.

Why do the leaves turn yellow?

Usually the soil is too alkaline for it to take up iron.

How do I grow Cape jasmine?

In acidic, well-drained soil, with regular water and partial sun.

Sources

• Gardenia jasminoides J.Ellis — Plants of the World Online, Kew (search) (accessed 2026)
• Wikidata item Q1072101 (Gardenia jasminoides)

Educational page about a plant. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell. Traditional use is historical. If you need care, ask a licensed clinician. Questions: hello@meevamed.com.