A 7 year journey, leads to a special moment.

[Silas_Sancona]

After noticing what looked like possible buds forming on one of the larger of my Plumeria seedlings back in July, the past couple weeks of waiting and watching paid off today when I got home from work. How awesome a sight is seeing the fruits of one's labor, spanning 7 years, coming into bloom. Before a few pictures, some background.

Back in 2006, I was living in Ohio nearing a point in life where one contemplates what direction the journey heads next. That summer I would use vacation time to finally visit Florida, greatly anticipating the chance to see various tropical palms and flowering trees id researched. I was also anticipating a visit to Homestead to acquire a few Plumerias to try. Living in Ohio, this of course means they would spend half the year indoors. Anyhow.

After working my way down the west coast, seeing my first Bismarckias and spending a badly sun burnt morning strolling through a grove of Coconuts in Key Largo, it was time to head back, stopping at a special place to pick up plants.

Spending time talking to one of the Nursery owners and discussing everything Plumerias and surviving/ moving on after Hurricane Andrew, I had several revelations as to the direction I was headed.

Of the three hybrids id picked up ( Daisy Wilcox, Charlotte Ebert, and San Pedro Du Lac, a Plumeria variety discovered in Central America by the Nursery Owners) one had a sizable seed pod developing on it. It spent the entire trip home carefully nestled in the back seat.

Back in Ohio, both Daisy Wilcox and Charlotte Ebert would flower leaving me wondering what flowers on the third plant would look like. Winter would come before id find out.

That year, we'd endure a nasty Ice storm around Valentine's day that knocked out power for a day and sent temps below zero. While the plants were dormant and indoors.. I was still concerned the developing seed pod might end up falling off the plant due to the cold. Several bath towels and a fleece blanket later, the cold broke and we switched from snow and ice, to rain and Thunder. As the weather settled down, the seed pod completed it's development and opened leaving me wondering what to do with several dozen seeds.

I decided to do a couple test batches and leave some for later, to test viability. All came up quickly and would end up in 1 gal pots before that June.

Id leave Ohio headed back to California, with all those seedlings and the three plants. Having no experience on how to get Plumeria seedlings through their first winter, id keep them under a heat lamp in my bedroom carefully watching how they responded. Aside from dropping all their leaves, i didn't loose any to rot, something 1st year seedlings can be prone to, or so id read.

By spring, all was up and growing. Id also plant the remaining seed to see how many would germinate. Plumeria seed is supposed to have a short lifespan.


After 7 years, it is incredible to think that i have taken these plants cross country 3 times and they held up well under the stress. They survived their second winter outside through a freak freeze with very little damage is an unheated cold frame, spent the majority of their years in their original 1-2Gal containers but grew without care. Endured being cut back twice and spending a couple winters in a dark garage. Simply, they are amazing..

While the weaker of the seedlings would slowly weed themselves out through the years, the saddest loss occurred shortly after id returned to CA when i lost all three of the plants id picked up including the mother of these seedlings, San Pedro Du Lac.. The father??.. no one knows, possibly one of several hundred plants that were in bloom at the nursery.

Today, that journey ended.. and another begins.. Considering that Seedling-produced Plumeria exhibit differing traits than either parent plant, it is quite possible that each of the plants i have may be a new cultivar.. The one that flowered today is clearly different from Mom.

Others that have yet to flower yet, exhibit obvious differences among them. For now, it is all about enjoying and documenting the flowers, especially as more are produced on the inflo. Than comes next year's flowers and comparing them to this years to note how stable flower size, color, +/- fragrance, and longevity are, let alone how many of the new branches produce inflos. Pretty sure most of the other remaining seedlings should flower next year also.

As sad as it is not to have the mother plant, it is good to know that her legacy lives on. Of the many things Plumeria symbolize, "The coming together of everything good" seems to fit this moment. It is also interesting that i got flowers after returning to that magical place where the story began. Enjoy

-Nathan-

Buds and 1st Flower, San Pedro Du Lac X #001 "soon to be named":

[Silas_Sancona]

A couple more. Detected the slightest Vanilla/ Lemon Scent this evening.

[dalmatiansoap]

Congrats!

[Stevetoad]

Very nice

[Alicehunter2000]

Nice story .... need to re-double my efforts to expand the collection again....didn't remove from the ground during polar vortex and lost all but one.

[Silas_Sancona]

Thanks everyone. Definitely a rewarding effort.

Noticed yesterday that the heavy yellow streaking and area covered by the wide corona all but disappeared leaving a faint blush of yellow right around the throat of the flower. Structure and quality seems stable so far. Awaiting the next buds to open.

David, agree that you should. Even if you start with dwarf varieties you can keep in containers. Best thing I used to treat frost/freeze damage, Sulfur powder and Good ol' Peroxide.

-Nathan-