Fragrance comparison

Gardenia vs Samambaia

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 14 Nov 2026 723 ratings analysed

6 wins

Gardenia

Penhaligon's

3.96652 votes

Rank #2,839 White FloralGreen

Full profile Similar & dupes

56%scent match

Closely related

Samambaia

Phebo

3.9271 votes

Rank #19,307 GreenWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Gardenia takes 6 of 7 categories.

Gardenia
Choose it for a white floral and green character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring.
Samambaia
Choose it for a green and white floral character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring.

Gardenia6/7

Samambaia1/7

Ratings & consensus: Gardenia
Community sentiment: Gardenia
Longevity: Gardenia
Sillage & projection: Gardenia
Value for money: Samambaia
Versatility: Gardenia
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Gardenia

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

GardeniaPenhaligon's

SamambaiaPhebo

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.96/ 5 · 652 votes

Have 68%Had 32%Want 0%

3.92/ 5 · 71 votes

Have 35%Had 23%Want 41%

Category winnerGardeniaRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

35%Love

49%Like

3%Ok

12%Dislike

1%Hate

554 votes

31%Love

48%Like

3%Ok

18%Dislike

0%Hate

71 votes

Category winnerGardeniaMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage53

♥ Love / hate73

Category winners

LongevityGardenia

SillageGardenia

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value40

¤ Price value55

Category winnerSamambaiaBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

white floral100%

green83%

floral65%

tuberose48%

animalic30%

green100%

white floral91%

fresh spicy83%

aromatic74%

floral65%

citrus56%

Scent match56%Closely related · both white floral, green and floral

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top

Green NotesMagnoliaHyacinthRhuburbBergamotViolet

Heart

GardeniaTuberoseLily-of-the-ValleyJasmineOrange BlossomYlang-YlangRoseCinnamon

Base

MuskVanillaBenzoinSandalwood

Top

GalbanumBergamotBlack PepperLemon

Heart

HyacinthLily-of-the-ValleyGardeniaVioletYlang-Ylang

Base

CedarMuskJasmineWhite MuskAmber

InformationalShared notesHyacinth, Bergamot, Violet and Gardenia. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter13

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter9

Day–

Night–

Category winnerGardeniaMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex11

Women87

Men9

Unisex73

Women18

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#2,839

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews63

Overall rank#19,307

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews6

Category winnerGardeniaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Penhaligon's Gardenia is a green white floral with a fresh, soapy lift rather than a thick tropical feel. The opening reads crisp and clean, then the heart turns fuller with gardenia, tuberose and jasmine, while vanilla, musk and sandalwood soften the dry-down. It suits shoppers who want an elegant floral with presenc…

Reviews →

Samambaia by Phebo opens with a sharp burst of bitter galbanum, bright bergamot, and crushed black pepper that feels like stepping into a damp botanical greenhouse. As the top notes settle, cool spring florality takes center stage through dewy hyacinth, crisp lily-of-the-valley, and soft violet. The base dries down in…

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Gardenia or Samambaia?

Gardenia takes 6 of 7 categories. Gardenia is rated 3.96/5 from 652 votes; Samambaia is rated 3.92/5 from 71 votes. Choose Gardenia for a white floral and green character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring. Choose Samambaia for a green and white floral character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Gardenia or Samambaia?

Gardenia lasts longest (Gardenia 68/100, Samambaia 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Gardenia or Samambaia?

Gardenia projects furthest (Gardenia 59/100, Samambaia 53/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Gardenia and Samambaia smell similar?

Closely related: a 56% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share white floral, green and floral accords. Common notes include Hyacinth, Bergamot, Violet and Gardenia.

Is Gardenia or Samambaia better for summer or winter?

For summer, Gardenia is the stronger pick. For winter, Gardenia is the stronger pick. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Gardenia and Samambaia?

Gardenia has top notes of Green Notes, Magnolia, Hyacinth and Rhuburb, heart notes of Gardenia, Tuberose, Lily-of-the-Valley and Jasmine, a base of Musk, Vanilla, Benzoin and Sandalwood. Samambaia has top notes of Galbanum, Bergamot, Black Pepper and Lemon, heart notes of Hyacinth, Lily-of-the-Valley, Gardenia and Violet, a base of Cedar, Musk, Jasmine and White Musk.