Flowers of Gardenia carinata folding for the evening
Golden gardenia, or Gardenia carinata, is a member of the coffee family or Rubiaceae.
The native distribution of Gardenia carinata is in parts of southeast Asia, specifically Malaya and Thailand. Unsurprisingly, this is a species of humid tropical environments. It can inhabit lowlands, hills, and forests.
Gardenia carinata can grow as a large spherical shrub or small tree, with a height between 6-15m (18-45 ft.). The sweetly-fragrant flowers are large and resemble a pinwheel during the day (see link in this paragraph). When Gardenia carinata‘s flowers first blossom in spring or summer, they are white. Over the span of a few days, the flowers first turn a pale orange and finally a bright golden orange, which looks quite striking against the green foliage as in today’s photograph. Once they’ve reached this colour, they will soon fall to the ground.
Wow, that yellow!
Except for the gold color, they look quite similar to the Tahitian gardenia that I have been wearing in my hair all day here on Maui in order to enjoy its entrancing fragrance
Well the link clears up why it is called pinwheel. Still stunning.
Thanks to the UBC Botanical Garden for selecting another one from my images of flowers.
I continue to enjoy and learn from thé wide varieties of entries that you select from around thé world.
Please keep up thé good work.
I
Nathalie comments on her flickr page that the common name is also used for Gardenia tubifera. I found one photo that purports to show the differences by showing them side by side, but I don’t know what I’m supposed to notice I see golden gardenias quite often in Hawaii and would like to know if I’ve correctly named them G. tubifera. Are the G. carinata leaves more prominently veined? Is there a reference that distinguishes them?
Fantastic! I love gardenias!
Wow! There is another very fragrant flower here in Hawaii that starts out a creamy white and as it “ages” it turns a beautiful orange color. It is called Puakenikeni. Would love to see a future BPOTD on it. Keep up the excellent work!