Gardenia taitensis, also called Tahitian gardeniaor tiaré flower, is a species of plant in the family Rubiaceae. It is an evergreen tropical shrub that grows to 4 m (10 ft) tall and has glossy dark green leaves that are 5?16 cm (2?6 in) long and are oppositely arranged along the stem. The flower is creamy white and pinwheel-shaped with 5?9 lobes, each 2?4 cm (0.8?2 in) long and fragrant. Native to the highland shores of the South Pacific, it has the distinction of being one of the few cultivated plants native to Polynesia. It is the national flower of French Polynesia and the Cook Islands.