Plumeria.

I used to collect plumeria sticks; they were free for the asking where I used to live down in the Everglades. I brought them all up to Zone 9 when we moved and they all froze in 2010. I did save some seeds, though, and now have 4 or 5 seedlings that I hope will bloom this summer.

Here's what they looked like as rooted cuttings - some in bloom with a knock-your-socks-off fragrance . . .

I kept mine in the greenhouse. It finally bloomed last year. It had no fragrance. What did I do wrong?

Maggie
I just read on the Plumeria Forum that there are actually some kinds of plumeria that aren't fragrant.

Maybe those folks can help you figure out if that's the case with yours, or maybe there is something you can do to get some frangrance.

~Susie

Here is a link that might be useful: Outdoor Plumerias Not Fragrant - What a Bummer!

Not all of them are fragrant. The beautiful white Bridal Bouquet, for instance, is scentless, a huge flaw in an otherwise spectacular plant, IMHO. Generally the more yellow they have the more fragrant they are, but there are exceptions to that, too.

Hi
Huge selection in the plumeria family. Evergreen .deciduous many forms of aroma as well as ultimate size.
All can be hybridized so there are many intermediates also. They also can be grafted so you can have several attributes on the same plant, almost as many choices as roses lol. Many degrees of type and strength of aroma and flowering habit . to choose from . research before you decide. gary

I don't know if I will get Plumeria or not. There are some interesting colors that I think my wife will like. She tends to like 'unusual' color combinations and the roses she wants with this 'attribute' just don't grow well here. So I'm looking for alternatives. I have already settled on a Desert Rose or two, if I can get fresh seeds. Plumeria might work, but I'm not keen on plants I have to replace each year. Maybe I will put one in a planter and keep it in my newish Tropical section during the warm months and bring it inside for the cooler ones.

But its good to know my memory isn't as faulty as I keep fearing it is. One of the biggest downsides of my pain medication, for me, is that it does numbers on my short-term memory and 'instant recall' and I'm constantly afraid it's going to end up permanent.

Leekle2ManE, Plumeria are fairly easy to overwinter in your area. Here in St. Pete near the water, ours stay out year round but I've given several cuttings to my mother in your neck of the woods. I just told her to set them inside a garage or shed when it gets close to freezing and leave them there. They go dormant and don't need sun or water until early spring.

I would just recommend a smaller variety if they'll stay in pots. e.g. Jungle Jack's Divine. Usually every summer Lowes will get in a shipment of Jungle Jack's Plumeria, Divine is typically one of the staples. Below is a photo of mine from last year.

Good luck with whatever you decided to do!