An evergreen small tree that reaches a mature height of 3 to 5m under ideal growing conditions. Gardenia cornuta is characterised by a dense much branched roundish crown and a single main stem.  This tree is found growing naturally in the bushveld, woodland, grassy plains and thicket in Zululand, Maputaland and southeastern Mpumalanga.

Leaves of this beautiful tree are simple, arranged in whorls of 3 and are crowded at the ends of side branches. They are glossy light green above and dull green below with smooth margins. The bark is smooth and pale grey on young branches and becomes grey and flaking on older stems. The white flowers which become yellow as they age have a heavy sweet scent. They appear in solitary in the axils of leaves from November to March. The blooms are followed by oval-shaped light green fruits which turn orange-yellow when ripe.

The glossy green leaves and sweetly scented flowers make the Tonga gardenia a stunning focal point as a foliar and flowering specimen in the garden. This tree is suitable for small gardens because of its size and non-invasive root system. Livestock and game browse the leaves, the fruits are loved by monkeys and nyala. This tree is suitable for container planting as well as bonsai. It also has medicinal properties and grows well in frost-free areas.