Gandhraj / Cape Jasmine
Gardenia jasminoides
Also known as Bush Gardenia, Bunga Cine
- Habit
- Shrub
- Found in India
- West Bengal, Maharashtra, Kerala & more
- Flowering
- August-May
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Gardenia jasminoides
- Genus
- Gardenia
- Family
- Rubiaceae
- Habit
- Shrub
- Habitat
- Grown as garden plant
- Habitat type
- Cultivated
- Native to
- East Asia
- Distribution
- Tropical Asia
- Found in India
- West Bengal, Maharashtra, Kerala, Assam, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu
- Flowering & fruiting
- August-May
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Arrangement
- Opposite
Typical of the Rubiaceae family — a field-mark hint, not measured for this exact species.
Flower & fruit characters
Typical of the Rubiaceae family — flowering plants only; individual species can differ.
Local Names
- Hindi
- Gandhraj गंधराज,अनंत वृक्ष ananta vriksh
- Nepali
- इन्द्र कमल Indra Kamal, थल कमल Thal Kamal, इन्द्रकमल
- Bengali
- গংধৰাজ Gandhraj, গন্ধরাজ
- Tamil
- Karinga, கும்பிலி
- Kannada
- ಸುವಾಸನೆಮಲ್ಲೆ Suvasane malle
- Malayalam
- ഗന്ധരാജൻ
- Marathi
- अनंत Anant, गंधराज Gandhraj, अनंत, गंधराज
- Assamese
- তগৰ
Gandhraj in India
This fragrant shrub, known as Gandhraj गंधराज (Hindi), Karinga (Tamil), ಸುವಾಸನೆಮಲ್ಲೆ Suvasane malle (Kannada), ഗന്ധരാജൻ (Malayalam), अनंत Anant (Marathi), গংধৰাজ Gandhraj (Bengali), is grown widely for its intensely scented white flowers. Gardenia jasminoides is grown across West Bengal, Maharashtra, Kerala, Assam, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, popular in gardens for its fragrance.
Uses
It's grown almost entirely as a fragrant ornamental shrub, its waxy white flowers prized for both garden display and cut-flower fragrance.
How to Identify Gandhraj
A dense evergreen shrub with glossy, dark green leaves. Flowers are waxy white, richly fragrant, with numerous overlapping petals in cultivated double-flowered forms, followed by ridged orange-yellow fruit occasionally used as a natural dye.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Cape Jasmine called in different Indian languages?
- Gandhraj गंधराज (Hindi); Karinga (Tamil); ಸುವಾಸನೆಮಲ್ಲೆ Suvasane malle (Kannada); ഗന്ധരാജൻ (Malayalam); अनंत Anant (Marathi); গংধৰাজ Gandhraj (Bengali).
- Why do the flowers turn yellow with age?
- Like many white flowers, gardenia petals gradually oxidise and yellow as they age, which is a normal part of the flower's natural lifecycle rather than a sign of poor care.
- Is the fruit used for anything?
- Yes — in some traditions, the ripe orange-yellow fruit is used as a natural yellow dye, distinct from the plant's more common ornamental use.
Rubiaceae
Coffee/Madder family
Gandhraj belongs to the Rubiaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Rubiaceae family →Snap it. Know it.
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Common plant problems
All plant problem & care guides →More in Rubiaceae
View all Rubiaceae →Sources: GBIF — Gardenia jasminoides (India distribution & vernacular names) (CC BY 4.0) · Wikipedia — Gardenia jasminoides (background/comprehension only) (CC BY-SA 4.0)