Native Gardenia Randia fitzalanii

Native gardenia is a rainforest tree from the Queensland coast rather than a shrub, growing with a fairly narrow crown and large deep green leaves that hold a lacquered shine. Despite the common name it belongs to a different genus, and it shows: clusters of white five petalled flowers in spring, strongly scented in the evening, followed by yellow fruit that birds strip. In gardens it works as a well behaved small shade tree, a screen for a narrow side boundary, or a courtyard specimen in a sheltered position.

Frost and dry wind decide where this tree will grow

It belongs in subtropical and warm coastal gardens, and it will take full sun once it has hardened up, though young plants do better in part shade behind a windbreak. Give it rich, moisture retentive soil, keep a deep mulch over the roots, and water regularly through summer, which the specs call for and which those large soft leaves make obvious. Space plants around two metres apart in a screening row so each keeps its own crown. It drops fruit once mature, worth thinking about before planting over paving or a pool surround.

The limit on where it succeeds is cold and dry wind, not soil. Frost cuts back young growth, and hot dry wind scorches leaf margins and browns the tips; because the tree is evergreen, both marks stay on display for a full season rather than dropping in autumn. Gardeners in cold inland districts and in dry exposed positions lose the look of the plant even when it survives. Site it out of the prevailing wind, under high canopy or against a warm wall in marginal areas, and plant in spring once the frost risk has passed rather than going in ahead of winter.

A tree among shrubs

Everything else in this hub is a shrub. Gardenia Magnifica and its relatives get clipped, potted and hedged at knee to chest height, and they need acidic soil and part shade to look right, while Randia is a tree that will eventually cast shade of its own and is far less fussy about pH. If you want native perfume in a smaller frame, Lemon Scented Tea Tree carries its scent in the foliage rather than the flower and takes much drier ground. Choose Randia when there is room for a canopy and you want evening perfume overhead. More in natives.

Lifting the crown and feeding a young tree

It needs almost no pruning beyond lifting the lower branches for clearance underneath, and late winter, ahead of the spring flush, is the time to do it so cuts close quickly. Take out crossing or damaged wood at the same time. Feed in spring and again in early summer with a complete controlled release fertiliser at a moderate rate, and top up mulch each year rather than cultivating around the surface roots. Advanced stock settles in faster with a deep soak once a week through its first two summers.

Choosing a size

This plant is available in 7 sizes, from 140mm up to 200L, priced from $17.95 to $1099.00 per plant. The size shown is the pot the plant arrives in, which is the rootball, not the height of the plant. The smaller pots hold younger plants that cost less each and establish quickly, which suits hedges, screens and mass planting where the plant count adds up. The larger sizes carry several more years of growth on the farm and give height and presence straight away, which is what you want for a single feature position or a screen that cannot wait. Not sure which to choose? Read our guide to Australian native trees.