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plumeriapusher

Difference Time/Heat/Sun can make on flowers

Kimo
9 years ago

Ive noticed that Plumeria's that bloomed when I first got them sometimes did not look close to, or like what they should based on color, size, shape. I noticed that in cooler temps that Purples looked pink, but years later (after being acclimated) they would bloom pretty close to how they should look.
I got this Sherbert Town in 2005, and every year it looked different. This is the first year my Sherbert Town looked close to how it should. It has not been that hot in my patch this season so I guess its time that has made the difference:

This years bloom (inflo almost done blooming for the season)

Sherbert Town blooming 3yrs ago in Sept with almost 90 degree heat:

Here's an example of Sun/Heat effect on Firestorm:
Sun and warmer temps 81degree heat

Same plant this branch/inflo covered in shade and cooler:

So I guess even if your patch is in cooler coastal temps, sometimes time can make a difference. Mature plants seem to produce flowers that are true to form.

This post was edited by freak4plumeria on Wed, Jul 30, 14 at 17:50

Comments (24)

  • nativec
    9 years ago

    Hello James!

    Thank you for posting this. I'm always fascinated by how a bloom can change over the years and the effects of heat. Sherbert Town is really gorgeous (not that Firestorm isn't :) LOL

    Take care,
    Nicole

  • Kimo
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Hey Nichole,
    Thanks :) Because Plumie flowers look so different from season to season, month to month, is why I won't ever totally quit growing them...gotta luv their changing looks.

    Hope your having a great growing season.
    Cheers

  • jandey1
    9 years ago

    This is a good thing to keep in mind before chucking one out that doesn't look right at first bloom :)

    The blooms here are now very small from the triple-digits, and it surprisingly washes the colors out sometimes, too.

    Serenade is one of my few that is staying large is actually turning a deeper pink. It was a great recommendation from Jungle Jack!

  • Loveplants2 8b Virginia Beach, Virginia
    9 years ago

    HI James!!

    You are so right and I love all of the changes in your beautiful trees!!

    I am just amazed what even a few days can do to the coloration in the blooms and to think of the changes you have in years. It's amazing!!

    They look like totally different trees.. Good point to keep on growing because they can show as something you think is off.. Then throw you a curve ball and totally shock you!!

    LOVE the pictures.,

    Great example of Sherbert Town and Firestorm. Both so dramatically different and I love each look... Impressive!!! ;-)

    Hope you are having a great weekend!!

    HK is about to bloom.. Thinking of you!!! Mahalo!!!

    Take good care,

    Laura

  • seamommy
    9 years ago

    Ive seen these differences also. In the plumerias and in my roses too. The heat can really make a difference in size, color and shape of blooms.

  • texasplum
    9 years ago

    love the changes it made! that firestorm is awesome! thanks for sharing!

    Shane

  • lazybonz
    9 years ago

    Thanks for posting these pics.
    It fascinates me that temperatures can have such a dramatic effect.
    You wouldn't know these flowers were from the same plants without being told.
    Do you use Pro Tekt on your plumerias?
    Just curious.
    I'm wondering how much of a difference silicon makes--or doesn't.

  • kitnor
    9 years ago

    I'm near Orlando, FL on one of my Plumerias all of the bloom was wilted in the heat of the day. I check with the water meter and the dirt was reading moist. At 7:00 p.m. it was back to normal. I have another tree in bloom and it was not wilted. It was in the 90's today but it was yesterday and I did not see it wilt. I mean all of the blooms were wilted including the ones which had not opened.

    Has anyone else seen this?

  • gidgetsocal
    9 years ago

    Beautiful pictures of your plumeria! The way the same plumeria can vary has always fascinated me.

    I just love how plumeria change their looks - like having two plants in one! So much fun!

  • Kimo
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Sorry but been super busy and in San Francisco this past week now on family business, so sorry about the delay in responding.

    Jen,
    Thanks :) I am sure with your heat you get amazing colors!!! There are sooooo many JJ's plumies that transform color wise and shape in your heat, so jealous. The only thing is that in cooler humid temps we get huge blooms, but light colors and sometimes no shape :( Post some of your Gorge blooms, need to see a show. Thanks again.

    Laura,
    Thanks for the compliment, your always so sweet :)
    HK has a super sweet potent scent, you could make perfume from it if you wanted to. I am sure your patch is poppin, post pics also would love to see. I am eating my way through Silicon valley and San Francisco thinking about you and how it would be fun to eat out with you..lol Next time. Thanks again :P

    Seamommy,
    Luv your name!!! Are you in Seattle? I agree with you about plumie and roses. I am assuming you must like flowers with perfumes as both plumies and roses are used in perfume production.
    Cheers.

    Shane,

    Sorry about the constant delay in sending you your cutting of PJ as I have been super crazy busy for the past 2 months.. I promise when I am back in LA next week I will send it. My friend has been out of the country and she has not returned since I gifted her the PJ tree so I still have not taken the cutting from it so it will be fresh.. Don't hate me lol. Thanks for the compliment on FS.

    Lazybonz,
    Thanks. Actually I am an abusive Plumie caretaker, not watering, maintaining, repoting or fertilizing my plumies. When I last saw my patch a week ago most did not fully leaf out, the leaves that did come in are small and a lot had either mildew issue or spider mites as the new leaves and claws were powdered looking and wrinkled and misshapen. I only use a 12 mon timed release fertilizer Nutricote, no other products sorry again abusive .

    Kitnor,
    My plumies do the wilting thing, but its because mine are so pot/root bound. Are your plumies in the ground or pots? How long has it been if they are in pots since you repotted? Could be over fertilizing also, or just too hot.
    Hope that helps

    Gidgetsocal,

    Thank you so much for your compliment. I agree its like have multiple plants in one depending, gotta love the change.
    Thanks again.

  • Loveplants2 8b Virginia Beach, Virginia
    9 years ago

    Hi James,

    Sounds like you have been super busy...

    Lol.. Eating your way through San Francisco.. That sounds like it would be wonderful!!! Great restaurants there... Loved all of the different styles.. Makes me hungry!!! YUM!!!!!

    Yes, next time!! ;-)

    Have a safe trip and I hope you have good luck with that family business!!!!

    Take good care,

    Laura

  • texasplum
    9 years ago

    James,

    No worries at all sir. Family comes first and I know you have been busy. If you have gifted it you really dont need to worry about bothering your friend for a cutting! I have been thinking about ordering a 5 gal from jjs after looking all yours and others pics of pj. Lol. Thanks again for the offer and hope everything is going well for you and your family.

    Shane

  • jandey1
    9 years ago

    James, glad to hear you're busy enjoying yourself! Eating through San Francisco sounds fabulous!

    Since you asked especially, here are some pics of cooler (low 90's) versus hotter (high 90's to 100):
    Serenade in lower (haha) temps

    and in hotter temps

    Pink Diamond looks exactly the same in both

    This shows the darkest Pink Diamonds I got, plus the last of the Makaha and Leona, with Lemon Drop and Serenade as the heat really got going, and one light pink seedling of Mardi Gras.

  • Kimo
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Jen
    Gorgeous Blooms... Luv the way the Texas heat makes plumies look color wise. Such a treat thank you for sharing.

  • pcput
    9 years ago

    Thanks all for taking the time to post these gorgeous pics. We should all keep this in mind when ID'ing plants from pics. It would be easy to ID it wrong based on one pic of a bloom. They are all beautiful no matter what their name might be.

    I love the changing colors and I think that is part of what makes them soooo addictive.
    Peg

  • plumejunkie
    9 years ago

    Hey James,

    I have also noticed the difference that the sun can have on blooms. But I think it's more intensity of the suns rays as apposed to actual heat. The reason i say this is because one season I left a tree inside longer than usual due to unusually cool days & nights. It was a noid rainbow & it started to bloom. I kept it right by the sliding glass door and when the blooms opened it was white and yellow instead of rainbow.

    Now the sun was weaker that season, but I also know that glass blocks UVB but not UVA, thus further lowering the suns intensity. I've had the plant bloom much lighter in lower sun intensity many times before, but never white & yellow!

    I also believe that maturity factors in to a plants color as well.

    So San Francisco is my neck of the woods, next time your there drop me a line.

    Jason

    P.s. - my friend swears there's a huge plumeria growing in the ground in SF, he just can't remember where he saw it. I'm constantly on the lookout for the fabled S.F. Plumie. Wouldn't that be something!

    Here's a pic of my noid rainbow this year in mild heat....mostly 90's, few 100's, some 80's mixed in as well. Strange year.

  • plumejunkie
    9 years ago

    Here's one last year in high heat.......100's & 110's

  • plumejunkie
    9 years ago

    Also last year, same tree.....big heat

  • plumejunkie
    9 years ago

    & here's the same tree the very 1st year it bloomed.....good heat

    P.s. - sorry for all the posts, my iPhone won't let me put multiple pics on one post.

  • Loveplants2 8b Virginia Beach, Virginia
    9 years ago

    Those are beautiful , Jason!

    Jen.. Wow!! Gorgeous as always!!

    Love all of the colors!!!

    Laura

  • Kimo
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Jason,
    WOW that is Gorgeous!!! I was in Los Altos Hills 2 weeks plus ago. On my next trip up in the next couple weeks I might have to do a drive by on your place in the middle of the night...lol Snip snip.. Jus kidding. That is one outstanding plumie though. Love the differences in appearance, I would swear they were different flowers.

    As for the large Plumie tree in the ground in the Bay area, I think it is a Plumie Urban legand..lol Did your friend have pics of it, or did he just hear about it lol.

    Thanks for sharing.

    Jen always gorge as usual. Love seeing your pics.

    Laura
    Waving @ Laura.

  • plumejunkie
    9 years ago

    Thanks Laura. Hey, did you ever try the coffee with Kerry gold & coconut oil we were talking about? Don't forget to blend .....lol

    @ James - no need to snip - snip. It's unruly & next season I will trim. I'll send you a cut. It's good karma to share..... :)

    Note 1 - The tree was gifted to me when I moved a professors greenhouse from cal st. Hayward to S.F. State, to bad he didn't properley label it.

    Note 2 - I have many other pics of this tree & it is constantly changing. Between me & nativec, we think it resembles at least 6 different varieties. Even petal shape changes. Since it's a noid maybe I should call it Chamelion...lol

  • plumejunkie
    9 years ago

    @ James - p.s. - my friend said he saw it

  • Kimo
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Jason,
    Thank you so much for the offer of a cutting of that GORGEOUS plumie of yours, but I have been downsizing dramatically and focusing on my orchids, so unfortunately I am not adding to my existing collection. I went from having 650 cultivars in stock to now low 80s. I think I want to keep my collection at about 75 to 85 cultivars. But thank you for the generous offer, you will have great karma just for the positive generous attitude.

    James

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