good plumeria companion plants - big post

14 years ago

There was a post in the Garden Web Plumeria forum about companion plants for Plumeria that inspired me for this post. Enjoy!

Lupinus texensis 'Alamo Fire' This plant has been sort of shaded out by the Laurentia and Petunia in the pot, but it's just starting to bloom and should look nice

Yellow Petunias. I know that many people hate Petunias because they are so common, but I just love how bushy they are. These yellow ones are nice.

Calendula 'Zeolights' I can't wait until these take off. Right now, I just have one lonely bloom.

Laurentia This plant has blown me away. From one seed, I got a huge bushy plant that would look wonderful alone in a container. You can see in the first photo how prolific it is. I wish the flower color photographed a little better. It's more purple than it looks here.

White petunias. Crisp, clean and white.

Linaria I don't know the cultivar, but this is an interesting plant.

I also have Statice and Centaurea in the pot, but they aren't blooming yet. For the most part, everything has been really drought tolerant and I only water when they are looking wilty. I bet this pot would look wonderful just filled with colorful petunias.

Featured Answer

tdogdad

14 years ago

My concern with this post is that most plants require more often watering than the plumeria. In warm times this probably is not a problem but in cooler times you may be underwatering your companion plants or overwatering your plumeria which as we all know can be a rotten experience. I went through a number of companion plants over the years and now use colorful rocks. Plumies need rapid drying and companion plants shade and hold moisture. Just a thought. Bill

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (9)

t0etager
14 years ago
maybe a butterfly bush mixed in with the plumie may get some wandering butterflies to pollinate your plants! And they are pretty drought tolorant.
Sean
Related Professionals
Norfolk Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · East Patchogue Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Pelham Landscape Contractors · Berkeley Heights Landscape Contractors · Canyon Lake Landscape Contractors · Concord Landscape Contractors · Darien Landscape Contractors · Del Aire Landscape Contractors · Mason Landscape Contractors · San Antonio Landscape Contractors · South Lake Tahoe Landscape Contractors · Watertown Landscape Contractors · Goldenrod Landscape Contractors · Fairfax Siding & Exteriors · Shoreline Siding & Exteriors
karyn1
14 years ago
I love Blue Star Creeper (laurentia) and it self seeds all over the place. I'd love to know the variety of that Linaria. The colors are beautiful. I don't underplant much with plumerias but I do with my brugs.
tdogdad
14 years ago
Sean- I love Buddleias but the problem I have with them is these from 07:

Are today 9 feet tall and taking over my wife's butterfly garden. If you put them in the ground, they are like bougainvillas-gone-wild. I now have to pick the ones to save and export the rest to the school butterfly garden. Bill
t0etager
14 years ago
I remember as a kid, well younger kid trimming my moms bougainvillas. She was smart planting them around me and my sisters windows. There was no sneaking out through those bad boys, and when we got in trouble we got to trim and haul the plants. OUch those things hurt!
Sean
xerophyte NYC
14 years ago
Let me offer an alternate position to Bill's thoughts;

Planting water hungry plants underneath Plumerias perhaps reduces the risk of overwatering the Plumeria as the additional root presence will take up excess moisture in the root zone.

This can be particularly effective in a large pot where the likelihood of excess wet soil mix is greater than in the ground.

I have used Impatiens successfully as "marker plants"...when they start to droop, then its time to water.

X
Baby G (USDA:10a, Sunset:21&23 SoCal-NE. Mt Washington, Lo-Chill: 200-400 Hrs, So
10 years ago
How do you think these drought tolerant plants would do under plumeria? I'm thinking of planting plumerias with something under them on my xeriscaped front yard, it's covered with gravel and has some sparsely planted laveneder sage and rosemary.

Red Monkey flower (Diplacus puniceus)
Woolly Blue Curls (Trichostema lanatum,)
Milkweed
Rock Purslane (Calandrinia grandiflora/spectabilis)
ladyver
10 years ago
I have geraniums under my in-ground plumerias and everyone is happy all year round, especially me since it offers a great splash of color when the plumerias are still bare. Sweet alyssum, too...but no one seems to like it but me. :-) Kalanchoe has done pretty well for me in a plumeria pot, but for the most part my pots are bare.
ellusionz
9 years ago
Are any of these or could anyone suggest some water loving flowers to go around plumeria? The back of my yard goes into a dry lake but seems moist at times, would love some suggestions :)