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elucas101

Hawaiian or Thai and why?

elucas101
11 years ago

I know everyone has their favorites and both are very popular, which do you prefer and why?

Comments (9)

  • PRO
    the_first_kms2
    11 years ago

    My preference is to buy from Hawaiian sources over Thai sources. I have a friend who buys Thai sourced plants and they seem to be very unique in colors but he often has overwinter losses. Not enough of a sample to draw a conclusion that they are less hardy but I would certainly consider them less forgiving.

  • jimithing78
    11 years ago

    I recently bought two Hawaiian ones simply because I loved visiting Hawaii and want a link back to my time there. Haven't been to Thailand yet :)

  • elucas101
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    I've wondered about the hardiness of Thai varieties. I see several that seem to be compact growers, which in combination with the coloration may be an attractive draw. I'm much more attracted to the shape and colors of the Hawaiian but I could be biased, I lived in Hawaii for about 6 years when I was little, and like jimithing78 it links me to my time there.

  • ProudMamaSD
    11 years ago

    Emily, neat! Living in HI... um, where is my email with tips for my upcoming trip???? lol.

    Although I have several Thai from JJ's, I prefer my trees that are HI. They have thicker stems and are taking on a more interesting shape. My Thai's are long branches at this point, blossoming long branches, but none the less, less bonsai then I prefer. For me, much of my attraction is the tree itself, not just the bloom. Ask again in June when everything is in bloom, LOL.

  • Loveplants2 8b Virginia Beach, Virginia
    11 years ago

    Hey Emily,

    Great thread...

    You really made me think about this one..

    I have had success with my Thai varieties and i will say that i have had more inflos on my Thai varieties than my Hawaiian trees. Not sure the reason, but my Taj Mahal, Thai ELsie and a few other have continued to push inflos.

    My Hawaiian tress are very special and i will say that i have that connection to the islands like others have mentioned. It is very special to visit Hawaiii and bring back a tree and the memories from that visit.

    I think because of the "Thai" name and because of the wonderful colors that they offer...that is another reason that i an intrigued by the "Thai" tree. Maybe because it is so impressive because of the far off land...

    I can honestly say that i do tend to favor the Thai varieties because they are so unique. But i also will say that my most favorite are the trees from my friends from CA. Maybe it is because of the sentimental reasons and that i know where they are from and the source....

    Cuttings from friends that grow into trees that continue to give are the best kind...

    Interesting topic ..

    Thanks for letting me think about all of the trees and why i love them all....

    Take care,

    Laura

  • elucas101
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Glad to hear the feedback, very interesting! I do also love hearing the stories associated with the plumies, they always seem to have a special place in someone's heart.

    I really like the shape of the Hawaiian flowers and the textures as well. The Thai varieties have some amazing color combinations and there are some great breakthroughs with more compact growing varieties that are intriguing. I wish there were some more Hawaiian varieties offered as dwarf, miniature or patio.

    When I was little, my cousin and I lived in Manoa on Oahu and we would walk to school every day. We would pass a Celadine plumeria "hedge" every day and pick a flower on the way to school and on the way home. The owners had shaped the tree into a hedge and for a very long time I thought Plumeria grew as hedges and trees! LOL! I missed the smell of those flowers so much. When I was finally able to grow a plumeria of my own, the first time that bloom opened for me was magical. I thought, "That's it. That's it. That's the smell." It was like time in a flower.

  • ProudMamaSD
    11 years ago

    Beautiful, Emily. Thanks for sharing. I agree, time is captured in fragrance, smell, etc.

    Wonderful that you can recreate!

    Wendy

  • tdogdad
    11 years ago

    Just a reminder that Plumerias are natives of the Caribbean Islands and Central America and were exported to Hawaii and Thailand. Many of the varieties developed later in Hawaii were because of Bill Moragne and some of his friends including Jim Little. Many of the Thai varieties were Hawaiian varieties or seedlings of Hawaiian and Australian varieties that have been sold under new names. Over time, growers (like JJ) created new colors and varieties that are quite nice. I have many from each area but it is hard to evaluate because weather so changes how they look. For example, Calif. Sunset would look good in the hot, humid east but in my coastal Calif. area it is unimpressive (dull yellow). You have to find what you like and then ask people in your neck of the woods to evaluate.

  • elucas101
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Good point! The work Bill Moragne and Jim Little did was just remarkable to bring those new varieties and make them accessible in the US. I have been toying with the idea of many of the Moragne varieties, they are so amazing, but notoriously leggy.

    I have a decent climate for growing, luckily, but sometimes the heat does get too darn hot for them and I have to give them some shade / a lot of water and that can make them leggy too. I'm hoping the heat here will bring out the best in the flowers.

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