Plumeria - Frangipani

[Walter John]

Here's my first flowers for the season, perhaps Daryl and others might post some pics of theirs too.

Soon to open

[Walter John]

I have a fruit salad opening as well

This gives an idea of what other plants are nearby, palm, gazania, hippeastrum, sunflower seedlings.

[Jeff in Costa Rica]

Nice ones Wal! I love plumerias. I used to look forward to them blooming every Spring, the scent is intoxicating.

I can't grow them very well here, it's too wet. They do flower, but during the rainy season the branches get soft and the whole tree droops down.

[ariscott]

Jeff,

You should be able to, as they grow very well in the tropics. Just give them plenty of sun!!!! The more sun the better... and raise the bed a little bit, so it is not waterlogged. You should be able to grow some...

Regards, Ari

[Walter John]

Here's a "two day elapse" before and after, same bunch, different angle.

5th November, 2008

7th November, 2008

[Kim]

Gorgeous Wal. Do they smell delicious?

[Fouquieria]

I only have three Plumerias and they seem to alternate blooming every-other year. These are my last blooms of the season.

[SubTropicRay]

Wal,

Thosea are real beauties. How long do your plants hold leaves? Mine have their first flush in May and by September acquire leaf underside "rust" disease and begin defoliating. By mid November (now), they are nearly bare. Do you have a similar type of cycle?

I've attached a link below illustrating the rust disease.

Thanks,

Ray

Plumeria rust

[joe_OC]

My plumies are still blooming for me with some having new inflos that probably will not get the opportunity to bloom this season. Starting to see the oldest sets of leaves yellow and fall, but most of my plants still have their leaves.

Ray - I have been lucky with rust, even though most of my plumies come from Luc at Floridacolors in Homestead, FL. If you haven't been there, you should! He has just about all the varieties available at very reasonable prices.

[SubTropicRay]

Hey Joe,

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll have to check it out next weekend.

Ray

[joe_OC]

Ray,

Looking forward to seeing what you buy because I am sure you will buy some plumies if you go there...

[Jeff in Costa Rica]

Jeff,

You should be able to, as they grow very well in the tropics. Just give them plenty of sun!!!! The more sun the better... and raise the bed a little bit, so it is not waterlogged. You should be able to grow some...

Regards, Ari

Hi Ari, Thanks for the tip , I will try one in a raised bed!

Here is one growing just outside the house on a steep hillside. I love the flowers on this one.

And here is how the plant actually looks. I had expected them to grow into large trees here, but this is what I usually see.

This one is laying over a hedge of crotons and is spread out all over this hillside. You can see a few branches sticking up in

the background, but they will eventually get soft and droop down. This one is growing in full sun.

[joe_OC]

Hey Jeff,

There is a grower in Puerto Rico with some really nice cultivars. Here is their website:

http://lorescotropicalplants.homestead.com/PlumeriaPage.html

I've talked to the owner on a few occasions...nice fellow.

You should contact them to see how they are growing their plumerias...

Also, it depends on the plumeria cultivars...some grow very leggy, weak branches that tend to droop while others have very robust branching systems. By the diameter of the branches, the plumeria in your pic does not seem that old...

[Daryl]

Wal,

Thosea are real beauties. How long do your plants hold leaves? Mine have their first flush in May and by September acquire leaf underside "rust" disease and begin defoliating. By mid November (now), they are nearly bare. Do you have a similar type of cycle?

I've attached a link below illustrating the rust disease.

Thanks,

Ray

Plumeria rust

Ray, Rust is a bad problem all over Queensland. However, it can be controlled with Bayleton. I start to get rust in November usually, although this year I still had it in July. None yet fortunately! It doesn't do too much harm, but detracts from the look of the plant and is a pain coz you get it all over your clothes. The fruit spotting bug we have here is a much bigger problem.

regards,

Daryl

[ariscott]

Actually rust is not too bad this year.... I haven't sprayed at all, but it hasn't got as bad as I had it when I was in Gove.... So, I just left them alone. I have flowers at the moment, but the backyard looks like a bom just hit (Scott dug up all the native grass to put down 'proper' lawn), so I might wait a while to take photos... My blue one is flowering again. How is yours, Daryl?

Regards, Ari

[Daryl]

Hi Ari, it has struck well, and has quite a few leaves now, but no flowers yet.

regards,

Daryl

[Jeff in Costa Rica]

Hey Jeff,

There is a grower in Puerto Rico with some really nice cultivars. Here is their website:

http://lorescotropicalplants.homestead.com/PlumeriaPage.html

I've talked to the owner on a few occasions...nice fellow.

You should contact them to see how they are growing their plumerias...

Also, it depends on the plumeria cultivars...some grow very leggy, weak branches that tend to droop while others have very robust branching systems. By the diameter of the branches, the plumeria in your pic does not seem that old...

Joe, thanks for the website link! I did some research and it appears that Puerto Rico (except for maybe the El Yunque rainforst) does not get the amount of rainfall that we get here in Costa Rica. On average, we get at least 100 inches (2,540 mm) more a year, so maybe that is why they can grow such beautiful plumerias there? They just never seem to look good here sitting in wet soil most of the time.

[Walter John]

Hi Ari, it has struck well, and has quite a few leaves now, but no flowers yet.

regards,

Daryl

Hi Daryl, the ones I obtained from your kind self ("redaz" and "that pink job") and the one I obtained from Darwin have all struck well with leaves, if there's flowers this season I'll consider that a bonus. I do have a feeling in my water that it will be a good season for the frang though.

[ariscott]

I have to plant those soon.... They are really ready to go in now.... Hopefully I can still remember which is what

Regards, Ari

[Walter John]

Hi again,

Here 's some further pics of the fruit salad variation colours of plumeria I have growing. One of these has more yellow and the other more pink.

The stronger yellow

The stronger pink

[Daryl]

Here's one that I think is great. An American cultivar called Aztec Gold, with 4" flowers

Not a good season for plumeria here so far with all of the rain. Rain + clay Soil = not many blooms!

Daryl

[joe_OC]

Hi again,

Here 's some further pics of the fruit salad variation colours of plumeria I have growing. One of these has more yellow and the other more pink.

The stronger yellow

The stronger pink

Wal,

Just BEAUTIFUL! I think the bottom one is called coral cream in the states...

[Cycadcenter]

We just got back from a month down at the farm in Childers and were treated to this frangipani blooming in the garden.

[Walter John]

Late bloomer..

[bubba]

Frangipani is one of my favorite.At this time,we can only admire and wait and hope.

[_Keith]

Oh, I envy you guys in the tropics. My poor little Frangipani, which must be brought indoors to go dormant each winter, it just waking up again. It has been in the same conditions all winter, yet this week it greened up and put out a tiny leaf. I guess it is sensing the days getting longer again.

[Guest LeftCoastAngler]

Nice Frangi's fellas.

~LCA.

[Daryl]

Here's a couple from my garden...

[Walter John]

Rippers Daryl, got some more ?