Gardenia jasminoides, native to southeast Asia, is a large shrub or small tree in the Rubiaceae family with large, white, very fragrant flowers produced at the ends of branches containing glossy deep-green leaves. Commonly called gardenia or cape jasmine, it was a favorite of the corsage industry — back when young couples (and those young at heart) — wore boutonnières and corsages when going out on dates.

The Rubiaceae is the third largest plant family, with 611 genera and more than 13,000 species. It contains a large number of commercially important species, including coffee, chinchona (quinine), woodruff (coumarin), psychotria (emetic ipecac — and a hallucinogen), and species used to produce red and yellow dyes.