Rubiaceae
Guettarda speciosa
Beach Gardenia
T
Available in our catalogue
We propagate this species and you can order it from our catalogue.
View in catalogue →About
This small to medium evergreen tree typically reaches 2-6 metres in height, featuring smooth creamy-grey bark and large, oval, dark green leaves with prominent paler veins that are finely hairy underneath. It produces highly fragrant white tubular flowers, about 2.5-3 cm long with 4-9 lobes, which bloom at night. These are followed by sweet-smelling, globular, hard fruits that are roughly 2.5-2.8 cm in diameter and buoyant.
Where it works in Kilifi
Ideal for coastal gardens in full sun to partial shade, thriving in well-drained sandy or loamy soils. It serves well as an ornamental, shade, or specimen tree, and can tolerate salt spray, making it suitable for seaside plantings.
Growing notes
A fast-growing species that, once established, is drought-tolerant and requires minimal watering, though young plants prefer consistently moist soil. Propagation is typically by seed, which can take several months to germinate.
Sources
Researched with web grounding from: wikipedia.org, ntbg.org, kiddle.co, anpsa.org.au, earthone.io, srplantnursery.com. Please verify with local knowledge before relying on these notes.