Holly Stewart, age 16, of Springfield, I11., for her question:

HOW DID THE GARDENIA GET ITS NAME?

The popular plant was named in honor of Alexander Garden, a Scottish naturalist who collected botanical specimens in South Carolina before the Revolutionary War in America.

Gardenia is a shrub or small tree that bears very fragrant, waxy, white flowers. You'll find the gardenia in many tropical and subtropical gardens. It is very sensitive to temperature. The flower buds form best when daytime temperatures are above 62 degrees F. The leaves become yellow and unhealthy at lower temperatures.

A moist atmosphere is also desirable for the gardenia. That is why many of the plants are raised in greenhouses or conservatories where temperatures can be controlled.

The beautiful gardenia blossoms are used for corsages: varieties include Belmont, Hadley and McLellans 23. Veitchi, a small flowering form of gardenia, grows as a potted plant.

The gardenia is often called Cape Jasmine because it smells like jasmine and was first brought to England from Cape Colony in Africa.