Gardenia remyi is a species of tree reaching 3–13 meters, with branches that are somewhat quadrangular, puberulent, and viscid. The leaves are arranged oppositely, with a few clustered toward the branch tips. They are elliptic to broadly elliptic, elliptic–obovate, or broadly obovate, measuring (6–)9–24(–26) cm in length and (4.5–)5–10 cm in width. The leaf apex is short–acuminate, the base ranges from attenuate to narrowly truncate or subcordate, the upper surfaces are glabrous and viscid (especially when young), and the lower surfaces are dull and puberulent, at least along the veins. It has conspicuous stipules, connate into a collar 4–8 mm long, puberulent and viscid. The flowers are solitary, terminal (soon appearing axillary due to lateral vegetative bud development), with 3–13 mm long pedicels, puberulent, and viscid. The hypanthium is narrowly funnelform, 6–12 mm long, sharply 4–6–angled or winged, and houses an inferior ovary. The flowers are insect-pollinated, possibly displaying heterostyly, with a narrowly funnelform calyx, apically producing into 4–6 terminal spurs and a white corolla salverform with 6–8 lobes. The fruit is orange, subglobose to broadly ellipsoid, 1–2.8 cm in diameter, with a hard pericarp and numerous irregularly obovate seeds, 1.8-2.1 mm long, and reticulate. It primarily inhabits mesic to wet forests between 60–760 meters.