N. H. Plumeria Season ...Twenty Twenty Five..

[Silas_Sancona]

Starting this year's Plumeria Season thread early for a couple reasons.. already seeings signs of early movement..  and for those who have plants that may have been exposed to recent cold spells..


Before getting to the " signs of spring " showing up in some of the collection, a tip for those who have plants that might have been experienced sub 32F cold..

While 99% of my own plants, inc those in pots out back, on the porch, and in the ground in both areas seemed to have escaped -any- damage after about 8 days of morning lows at / below 32F this year,  i did have a couple losses..

Mexi Pink:   This was planted in an area out back that sees no direct sun all winter due to the sun angle this time of year.. Had been fine but noticed that the base of the stem wasn't looking right / felt kind of soft after the cold mornings here.  Could also see that the terminal end / growth point was showing signs of Black Tip, ...which can lead to stem rot..

After a couple days, and scraping the ?-able section of the stem / not seeing any latex bleed from the scrape = pulled it and opened her up fro a look..

While it was only 2 days between when i'd noticed something wasn't looking right, and when i yanked it, can see that stem rot was already well established throughout all but the top most portion of the plant.  On a specimen as young as this, very tough to try and re-root either of the green stems up top..  More often than not on a lot of Plumeria cultivars, tender green stems = shrivel ..and/or rot outright...  before rooting successfully..  

Simply put, Stem Rot travels FAST once it effects a plant, esp. one this young.    Keep a close eye on any specimens if they were exposed to more than a morning or two at / below 32F/ check to be sure they're bleeding latex until they resume growth...

No worries about it getting zapped, Mexi Pink is easy to find..







Can also see the obvious sign of " Black Tipping " here.   While it hadn't yet worked deeper into the sub surface tissue, it probably would have..  If the Black Tipping only destroys the tissue of the tip, rather than an entire branch / young plant,  the effected tip can " seal over "  meaning it won't continue growing, forcing new growth to emerge from dormant buds where the leaf scars are located further down on a stem / branch.







While the cold could have been the cause, more than likely, i applied wayy too much water back in Dec.  shortly before it decided to get chilly, which, combined with the cold spell, caused the stem rot..  Is supposed to be one of the easiest / hardiest P. rubra cultivars, so i'm a little surprised it got nailed.

Courtade Pink, the other Plumeria dropped in the ground last fall in another spot out back ..at the same time last fall.. = perfectly fine. Stem / tip bleeds latex when nicked..

** Not pictured ** 

Luc's Gold Cup:  Purchased back in October, suffered " Collar rot / Dry rot " near the base of it's stem, just above the root zone.. Not sure if keeping it too dry was the cause, and / or the cold.. Was placed up under the patio w/ the Mardi Gras purchased from the same grower, at the same time  ..Mardi Gras is fine..  Weird ..but, ...un- damaged top portion of it was cut and is currently sitting in the hot pocket out back, hopefully deciding on re rooting.  We'll see..

When yanked, roots were completely dry / brittle ..but not rotting..




Signs of awakening, already??

Samoan Fluff  = Obvious movement over the last few days..  Awaiting to see if it might try to throw an inflo. later. those grungy leaf stubs will be shed as healthier growth below pushes them off.  Note the drop of latex = plant is fine, despite how it might look atm.




Slaughter Pink = tip with the " wet " look = a classic hint it may be responding to recent warmth / is gearing up to start moving again. 





Tips on the rest of the Plumeria currently hanging out out back are still tight / don't have that wet / high gloss look to them yet..


Potted / in ground specimens out front:  Note that this time of year, most of the Plumeria out front only see sun / bright indirect light ( those under the front porch ) in the morning / till about 12:30 - 1PM.  No damage to any of them, even the seedlings.

E 15 < shot #1 > , JJ Xanadu < #2 > : Same wet / glossy look to the growth point..







San Pedro Du Lac X seedling = a little gloss to the tips atm....  Almost certain at least 2 of the 3 branches will push an inflo this year..



Pink Dwf Singapore:  = Still has it's leaves, and may be close to resuming growth.. 

[Rivera]

I have wondered if 'San Pedro Du Lac' Plumeria would tolerate the cool but mild San Francisco climate due to its high altitude Mesoamerican origins. 

But perhaps its cool-tolerance is more wishful thinking than reality? 

[Silas_Sancona]

54 minutes ago, Rivera said:

I have wondered if 'San Pedro Du Lac' Plumeria would tolerate the cool but mild San Francisco climate due to its high altitude Mesoamerican origins. 

But perhaps its cool-tolerance is more wishful thinking than reality? 

That's a good question...  Imagine that even that far south, at 8K ft in elevation, climate would be a bit cooler than closer to sea level, and cloudier / wetter throughout the year..   So, there's at least a chance it could be more adaptable.

If i lived up that way and had a warm pocket in my yard / could create a bed w/ chunky soil that would drain well in such a spot, i'd probably try it   ..and / or a few other fairly adaptable / easy to obtain cultivars like Celadine, Aztec Gold,  *Ken's White,  *Blizzard, *CA. Sunset, and *Divine, ( All * are Jungle Jack's cultivars ), ....and Samoan Fluff,   as well as a couple other more obscure White - flowered cultivars that originated in S. Cal ( IE: Pasadena Sally, Palomar )

CA Sunset, and Divine are supposedly semi- dwarf / compact- sized cultivars, so they can fit into smaller spots as well.

[Tracy]

I had to check if I still had any open flowers on my San Diego Sunset but no luck.   There were still blooms on it as recently as a couple of weeks ago.  It will probably be the first to bloom in my garden too.

[Rivera]

14 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

That's a good question...  Imagine that even that far south, at 8K ft in elevation, climate would be a bit cooler than closer to sea level, and cloudier / wetter throughout the year..   So, there's at least a chance it could be more adaptable.

If i lived up that way and had a warm pocket in my yard / could create a bed w/ chunky soil that would drain well in such a spot, i'd probably try it   ..and / or a few other fairly adaptable / easy to obtain cultivars like Celadine, Aztec Gold,  *Ken's White,  *Blizzard, *CA. Sunset, and *Divine, ( All * are Jungle Jack's cultivars ), ....and Samoan Fluff,   as well as a couple other more obscure White - flowered cultivars that originated in S. Cal ( IE: Pasadena Sally, Palomar )

CA Sunset, and Divine are supposedly semi- dwarf / compact- sized cultivars, so they can fit into smaller spots as well.

👍 Thanks for the other recommendations as well

[Silas_Sancona]

April check in:


Divine... Well on her way..  3 out of 4 branches w/ developing inflos this year?  Not bad..










Watching x JJ " Queen Amber " closely..  Was not expecting to see ..any.. hints of inflo development on this one this year.  🤞
it is a legit attempt..


Very interested to see how flowers on this cultivar look with my own eyes..

[Silas_Sancona]

JJ " Queen Amber " ..on the way..





Another unexpected surprise?  JJ " Xanadu "  Should know if this will be a nub or successful inflo. in a week or two.





That is 3 out of the 5 JJ cultivars flowering this year. Not bad.. 

Rest of the older plants look like they'll need another season to catch up.  ...That or i could see flowers later on on at least a couple of them.

 

[Silas_Sancona]

JJ Divine w/ multiple flowers open now on her first Inflo.  Flower color /  size = perfect match for the variety... 

Scent might be more medium range than landing in the " strong "  category description due to desert weather conditions but, definitely smells great..  Hard to pin down but would say somewhat classic Plumeria with notes of Rose, Cinnamon, and Citrus.

Scent is noticeably stronger in the mornings and after sunset than during the day.

Infos on the other two JJ cultivars scheduled to flower this year getting closer but still a few weeks out from flowering..





 

[aztropic]

Common yellow plumeria up to it's old antics in Arizona!

 

aztropic 

Mesa, Arizona 

[aztropic]

Giant pink,not far behind...

 

aztropic 

Mesa, Arizona 

[Silas_Sancona]

Divine  ....Continuing to look  ..Divine..  More flowers of various age open on the 1st inflo's  2nd flower flush = scent is definitely stronger / some distinctly different notes on how newer / older flowers smell.









Either way?   ..Divine.. 






JJ x " Xanadu.. " :

Now that multiple flowers are open, and have been observed at almost every hour of the day,  in the heat,  and under some extremely rare weather conditions you typically don't see here in AZ in early June, ...some first hand / first year flowering ( for me ) observations of the cultivar :

* Flower color / intensity and starting size is exactly as Jungle Jack's description/ as i'd thought they might be.  Those on the forum < -and beyond, who might see this- >  who are dedicate Plumeria geeks will notice the strong resemblance between Xanadu and some of the other, " Hooked petal tip / open, flat - faced flower / vibrant colored " Plumeria cultivars like  Mardi Gras,  Tropical Tangerine / Roscoe,  Bonnie Fox,  and / or  Aimhorn / Chompoo Paan..   Could there be some connections between them all??

* Size is what i'd expect on a first year flowering rooted cutting or flowering age - sized seedling - started specimen. 

Unless  flower size of X or W  cultivar is small to begin with,  flower size on most cultivars increases as the individual plant matures..  NEVER judge a Plumeria cultivar based upon how big ( or small ) the flowers might be when they first start flowering after purchase. Give them time to catch up and shine..  Not patient enough?  ..maybe don't grow em' 


* Keeping quality ( how long individual flowers last ) seems good..  First, six - petaled flower that opened a few days ago is still attached to the inflo, and while paler,  is still holding onto quite a lot of color.  ..More so than Divine can after several days. 

* For the moment, scent isn't as strong as the JJ description, ..but..  that could be influenced by local weather factors,  more than being some " falsely advertised "  attribute of the cultivar added on to lure in clients.

** Overall? <  ..Personal opinion of course,  > ...a winner, 100%
























JJ Queen Amber..  First flower open but not fully formed / slightly disfigured..  1st few notes on the cultivar:  Flowers can " kink " as they develop and will abort / drop off the inflo. before completing development..  How much the plant is watered ( in containers esp. may influence that )

Color is exactly as described..  Subtle, but vibrant at the same time.   Noted an interesting shade of Purple toward the base of the curled petals / Hazy, purple -ish hue in the streak that radiates down the center of the fully formed petals. 

Scent isn't strong ( ...again, that could be due to local conditions .or perhaps the flower itself.. ) but is definitely present..  Definite Peach,  w/ notes of something spicy / tropical.  Real' Nice. Hopefully it intensifies..

  Size - wise / keeping quality?   ....we'll see how those aspects look as other flowers open.







Confirmed inflo. development on San Pedro Du Lac X..  Keeping an eye on the last remaining branch that hasn't yet thrown an inflo.. It could be hinting at forming one soon...





Not a Plumeria obviously but, view of the G. coulteri two doors down, through " Little dude " out front as it sends off it's third set of fireworks, and the one at the old house proceeds thru flowering cycle #2.. 

[Silas_Sancona]

More shots of Plumeria x Xanadu...  More flowers open = This cultivar just just gets better. Stronger scent as well, esp. after sunset. 



























Can't wait until it,  J-105, and Mardi Gras  are flowering at the same time..

[ahosey01]

On 5/18/2025 at 2:20 PM, aztropic said:

Common yellow plumeria up to it's old antics in Arizona!

 

aztropic 

Mesa, Arizona 

It makes no difference that I have been to your house I'm still constantly staggered by all the stuff you're growing in that tiny yard that I didn't notice the first time around lol

[Silas_Sancona]

JJ X " Queen Amber "

Hard to pick up accurately using the camera but a very interesting pink-y orange that fades to a pale, but intriguing sandy brown..  Not much sent but, like Xanadu, that could be more locally influenced than the cultivar lacking -any- scent.. 

What scent i could note matches the " ..definitely Peachy, w/ hints of Coconut / something spicy " description by some.

Seems this cultivar would do better in more bright, shifty shade than where it gets a lot of sun.. Many of the soon to open buds on the inflos burnt off in the heat this past week / flower color faded fairly quickly. 

First year flowering, so we'll see how things look after another year or two of growth / flowering.

Fresh....
















Faded...









** Not pictured ** +Between flower cycles atm but more flowers ahead on Divine 






San Pedro Du Lac X inflo coming along nicely..   White stuff on some of the petioles / leaves, etc = dried latex..




Another surprise for the year = Samoan Fluff, deciding to develop an inflo. 

[N8ALLRIGHT]

It's been a wet summer for the most part, temps have never been exceptionally hot. Recently we've had a cool spell(80f) and the difference in bloom colors is stark. 1st photo is from low to mid 90s,2nd from mid 70s to low 80s. Both from the same plant. " Sunsplash".  My "Divine" started blooming also during the cool weather,it looks rather washed out as well 

[Silas_Sancona]

1 hour ago, N8ALLRIGHT said:

It's been a wet summer for the most part, temps have never been exceptionally hot. Recently we've had a cool spell(80f) and the difference in bloom colors is stark. 1st photo is from low to mid 90s,2nd from mid 70s to low 80s. Both from the same plant. " Sunsplash".  My "Divine" started blooming also during the cool weather,it looks rather washed out as well 

A little washed out /  not as vivid, but pretty much on cue color- wise, for Divine.    

Looks like the older flowers on Sunslpash ( Shot #1 i'm assuming )  gain the darker red - orange eye / modest, pink-y banding on some of the petal edges as they age, rather than those two aspects being pronounced right as they open.  Nice regardless.. 


Be thankful you're having a wet / not insanely hot summer...  Divine has tried to re- bloom twice, only to have those buds seared off by  the heat each time they get close to opening out here this year. 



 

[Urban Rainforest]

One of my all time favorites is Hilo Beauty! The plant I have now is a decendent of a stick I bought some 30 years ago. Being a landscaper I have planted them on other properties as well. The pic does’nt really do it justice as the flowers are a dark burgandy with black lines running through the petals. The leaves have purple veins running through them. 

[Urban Rainforest]

Pic of the whole plant.

[Urban Rainforest]

Forgot the name of this one but it smells incredible!

[Urban Rainforest]

This one is as basic as it gets but very fragrant! It smells like vanilla.

[Urban Rainforest]

One of my favs I have planted everywhere. “Kauka Wilder”.

[Urban Rainforest]

This one is very vibrant! “Samoa Pink”

[Silas_Sancona]

Samoan Fluff..  Hot enough that the flowers would open with an obvious pink blush, then settle into their typical white coloration.. Scent is present, but subdued. Flowers not lasting as long as they could ( 2-3 days vs. the suggested 5-7 days ) due to our crazy heat. 













San Pedro Du Lac X..  Flowering,  though the inflo. this year is pretty ho hum.. 

[Billeb]

Here’s a few. Doesn’t get too hot in Huntington Beach so I have quite a few plants that aren’t flowering. 
 

-dale 

Jungle Jacks Purple Jack Looks pink but it’s definitely purple in person. Color fades quickly too  

 

Confetti aka. Barbados Showgirl

 

Bought it from an old lady collector. Tag said “Orange & Yellow (Never 4 Sale)”.  No idea the name 

 

Standard 

[Hillizard]

My 'Aztec Gold' plumeria bloomed this month but the color is off (the petals are usu. much more yellow) and the scent is not as strong as in previous years. They seem to be very sensitive to annual climate changes. Or... what I bought years ago is not actually this variety?

[Silas_Sancona]

2 hours ago, Hillizard said:

My 'Aztec Gold' plumeria bloomed this month but the color is off (the petals are usu. much more yellow) and the scent is not as strong as in previous years. They seem to be very sensitive to annual climate changes. Or... what I bought years ago is not actually this variety?

Size of the flowers, since it started blooming after purchase?

Scent? ..Aztec Gold should smell like ripe Peaches..  Typically has a weak, pink-ish colored band on the back of the petals as well ( ..though that can fade / deepen depending on how hot / cool it is ) 


Some notes:

[Silas_Sancona]

Hot as H** right now here  = the most obvious sign a Plumeria is infected with FMV / PMV...   ..And no,  the blotched leaves are not " pretty "



...Any cuttings i take from it in the future will end up tossed  ..so that the virus can't be passed around by anyone i might be tempted to share this variety with    ..Because some folks don't care about spreading such things around for a buck or two.. 


...Unfortunate i can't share,   but Not  spreading these sort of things around is something a responsible grower of  any  plant does.  



Divine ..adding to the allure of it's namesake..



On the left, one of the older, " Spring Season " inflos, looking just about tapped out ...but still trying to push buds. 

Center:  ..A completely new inflo. that will be flowering, as the heat finally starts to back off  -Hopefully,  lol. 




Closer up of the " Fall Season " inflo:  Stem only added a few inches before producing it..  Pretty niiice 

[Urban Rainforest]

Took another pic today of a “Hilo Beauty” Plumeria flower cluster. You can kinda see the black lines a little better now. Definately more burgandy colored than red.

[Tracy]

On 8/20/2025 at 1:55 PM, Silas_Sancona said:

Size of the flowers, since it started blooming after purchase?

Scent? ..Aztec Gold should smell like ripe Peaches..  Typically has a weak, pink-ish colored band on the back of the petals as well ( ..though that can fade / deepen depending on how hot / cool it is ) 


Some notes:

Nathan the last time i posted a photo of my Fantasia Plumeria,  you wrote about the Mosaic virus.  My reading seems to indicate that Fantasia flowers present with stripes but their colors are not due to an infection.   Is your understanding different and can you point me to anything confirming otherwise?

Obviously I don't want to infect any of my other Plumeria. 

[Silas_Sancona]

2 hours ago, Tracy said:

Nathan the last time i posted a photo of my Fantasia Plumeria,  you wrote about the Mosaic virus.  My reading seems to indicate that Fantasia flowers present with stripes but their colors are not due to an infection.   Is your understanding different and can you point me to anything confirming otherwise?

Obviously I don't want to infect any of my other Plumeria. 

Yes,  as far as i've been told and read,  there are some Plumeria cultivars that can have striped flowers that aren't caused by PMV or a color break Virus. 

With Mosaic, if my understanding is correct, you'd see blotchy leaves as well as flowers w/ color breaks that point in the diection of an infected plant..

Here's a description of Fantasia from Brad's Buds and Blooms w/ the mention that it is supposed to be virus free  ...if it is the real deal. 



Since they know Kukait well, you could always contact Brad or Brian to discuss the subject further. 

Though i though i'd posted this before, a refresher on the subject from the person who created Fantasia himself. 
https://kukiattanteeratarm.blogspot.com/2021/02/splashes-in-plumeria.html

[Urban Rainforest]

These looked particularly nice today! I have them planted on one of the properties I maintain. Var. “kauka Wilder”. In real life the gold color looked like it was lit up!