Fantastic photos! I gotta get me a Waimea. Saw rooted for about $30 including shipping on Ebay. Unless you know of better source??

OK, so I have to ask about thrips, because I suspect I might be having some thrips issues occasionally. What are the symptoms? Could they be the cause of the inflos not developing properly, losing buds and then drying up prematurely? Might some varieties be more susceptible? Or does it have more to do with the vigor of the plant?

What, if anything, can be done preemptively? Would a stiff water spray on the inflo work?, or do we need to resort to pesticides?

Dave,

Thanks! Regarding Waimea source, I don't know of other options offhand, but I bought mine from one of our two favorite Hawaiian vendors, and, like everything I've bought from both of those vendors, I've been thrilled with it. At $30, worth every penny, and then some. I say, move on it! LOL

Regarding thrips: yes, those symptoms that you describe are likely due to thrips. I say "likely," because it's a difficult infestation to positively diagnose, as those critters are tiny. It's more of a deduction one makes when such frustrating symptoms occur on what is otherwise an entirely healthy tree. The reason I personally conclude that thrips are the problem is that certain species of thrips target specifically the flowering parts of plants (guess that's why they're called "flower thrips.")

The inflos on my Haleakala earlier in the season dropped buds and dried prematurely just as you describe. The blooms in my photo are from the second inflo, which did hold on to eventually produce some blooms. I did not use pesticides. Instead, I applied neem once weekly to the inflos when they were small, and between those applications I sprayed regularly with a strong stream of water with a few drops of Murphy's oil soap. Once the inflos approach actual blooming stage, I stopped with the neem and continued with the latter. This regimen was no silver bullet but I do think it helped.

Good luck, and let us know how it goes for you.

G

Greg beautiful pictures! I'm so amazed that your Divine is sooo divine! And you're right I'm never tired of looking at your flowers, especially Waimea! Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for posting more pics. You've got that right Greg, we love pics. The divine is gorgeous ! You are luck you have such a long growing season. Peg

Lynn and Peg,

Thanks, ladies! :-) Wouldn't be half as much fun without being able to share.

Divine is a flower machine--but I still can't believe the size of that inflo! Meanwhile, there are two other tips also blooming at the same time. Great tree.

Charlotte E is wowing me with her fabulous scent--must have sniffed her about 50 times today!

G

OHHH GREG!!!

Beautiful pics!!

You do a great job with your trees!!! " )

ALways love to see those great inflos.. They are huge!!!

Charlotte Ebert is a beauty as well as VCR and Waimea.. they all are..

Are you trying to enable me again?

LOLOL...

Thanks for all of your beautiful beauties!!!

Take Care,

Laura

Oh good your Charlotte Ebert flowers look kind of like mine. They have gotten so big that they are sort of floppy for lack of a better term. But you are right she's very fragrant! I can't believe mine is still blooming since April. I had no idea Plumerias can bloom non stop for 4 months! :)

Same with my Inca Gold, Divine and Scentsational. So cool.

Greg
Things are looking great. In my opinion you have done a very good job at selecting cultivars which are unique.

I use neem and/or soap and try not to do it during the hot times for thrip control. One Celadine had it so bad last year they were attacking me when I was near the plant. In a fit of itchy rage I have also used the Cutter Brand Mosquito spray which hooks to the garden hose and that knocked them back too.

I bought my 3 tip Wiamea as a cutting for $15 from the Jim Little Kiosk at Dole Pineapple Plantation on Oahu last year. I think the price now is $16. It rooted in about a months time without much fanfare and then I kept it over the winter on a sunny south facing window sill in a two quart square pot. Its now in a two gallon pot as of this weekend as roots were starting to show in the drain holes.

Gorgeous photos as always!! I'm going to stop mentioning when I end up with yet "another" plumie after looking at photos on the forum..LOL

Thank you for sharing:)

Nicole

Gorgeous blooms! I expect Charlotte to bloom for me next year.
Tally HO!

Fabulous, Greg! I agree with K: you've selected some great cultivars. Wonderful to see them bouncing back from the Attack of the Unmentionables.

Thanks, all. Sorry to be so tardy in responding to your compliments. Laura and Nicole, you know how I love playing the Enabler! :-) And while I'm enabling: Jen, I would think you'd love the scent of Charlotte E! Very unique.

K, I'm jealous that you have such familiarity with the JL Kiosk at the Dole Plantation on Oahu! Gotta get me to Hawaii someday. Anyway, sounds like your Waimea is doing what Waimea does...

Beachplant, thanks as always! You'll be pleased when CE blooms. Lynn, "floppy" is a good word to describe the flowers. She's known as "the largest Hawaiian flower." (Although I hear that Ellen #15 is quite large, too...) And I agree that it's a blessing to have an inflo blooming for so long! My Kona Candy has been that sort of bloomer for me. Gotta love it :-)

Thought I'd add this photo for Mindy in FL, who asked about spent inflos...I had thought the inflo on my Kelly Moragne was pretty much spent, but I left it be, and look at it now!

Greg,

Just great photos. Keep 'em coming and be sure you don't hyperventilate on your sniffing.

My Divine is getting close to blooming. There's a huge inflo forming. So, hope to take photos too and document the event.

Maybe by next summer I'll be done painting the house and will have more time to take care of my plumerias. LOL! I'll be better able to concentrate on good repotting, root pruning, spraying and fertilizing.

My little 3.5-year-old is showing an interest in gardening. She loves to put on her little pink garden gloves and dig mulch and plant acorns in my pots. So cute!!

Dave,

I'll do my best to heed your advice on hyperventilating LOL no promises, though...

Very cute, indeed! That's how new gardeners are formed. I always credit my father for passing his love for growing things down to me. It's something I'm most grateful for. Maybe yours will become one of us someday...hope so--the more of us there are, the less weird we appear. LOLOL

Thanks for your kind words. I'll be sure to keep mine coming, and let us have a view of your Divine when it blooms by all means.

G

Greg....

YOU are an Enabler.. I love CE. Mine didnt make it from the cutting that was sent to me. OH... It will be on next years list!! LOL!!!

Dave, I can just see K with her little gloves on!!

How cute is that?

Greg, My mother was the gardener in my family, i didnt take to loving it until later in life. Hopefully someone in my famiy will appreciate all of the trees and take care of them someday when it is needed. Maybe the new little one can be trained early!! : )

There is hope...

Love all of your pics.. "Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay..."

Where are those Mahattans? Ok, im a lite weight, Malibu Rum, Pineapple juice with a splash of grenadine.. My FAV!!! : )

Sunsets... Plumeria... Palms... "Frogs" No Iggies tho!!!

Take care and lovely pics as always!!!

Laura

Laura,

It just tickles me to have you call me an Enabler! :-) I literally "LOL" when I read your post! Hahahaha I think it must have something to do with me channelling my own guilt at having wayyyy too many of these lovelies for the limited space that I have...but who can resist?

Actually, I exercised a lot of restraint this season and only bought 2...or was it 3...wait, no...I guess it was more like 6 or 7 (I forgot about all of those JJ Lowe's purchases LOL) Still, compared with last season, I was pretty good...baby steps...

Nicole! You asked for more Madame Poni pics. I hope this doesn't disappoint--the curled petals disappeared just as they appeared. Despite this, I still truly love this flower, and I LOVE the fact that each flower has been unique--keeps me interested! LOL The unopened blooms look like candy-stripe sculpture, and the blooms smell wonderful (a friend was over the other night and, after sniffing MP said, "call me crazy but I think it smells like ginger." "Really?", I responded, "personally, I thought it smelled more like MaryAnn." I love my sense of humor...but I'm probably the only one who does...LOL)

ANYway, this is what MP is looking like now:

Oh Greg, You made me laugh tonight. Always a good day when you get a good laugh in. Thanks, Peg Love the flowers even without the twist.

Greg,

Thanks for the picture of the spent inflo flowering. I personally live to see everyones flowers because that is all I will get probably this year.

Mindy

"personally, I thought it smelled more like MaryAnn."

Bwhahahaaa! Greg, you are my kinda cornball joker!

What a cool mistake Madame Poni has turned out to be. She really is very distinctive.

Also love the waning Kelly M.; something very appealing about her pink and yellow combo. My cutting is most definitely rooted now, though one tip has an ugly sunken area where it burned. Guess the Hawaiians go into shock when they get a dose of our Texas sun. Poor thing! You've already enabled me with that one, and I'm very glad I have the self-control to pass on CE. I hear she gets tall.

Dave, little ones in the garden are the best! Starting them early with an appreciation for nature makes them more calm, empathetic children, in my opinion.

I learned to love plants from my mom, too, though, uh, I think even she might freak when she sees how many I have on her next visit to my house.

Peg,

You just earned major brownie points for validating my goofball sense of humor!!! LOL Thank you :-) Maybe I've got TWO cuttings for you now...LOLOL Anyway, I feel the same way you do about laughter...what would life be without it, eh?

Mindy, you are very welcome. Like I said before, your plants look great and I'm sure they will reward you next spring, which will be here before we all know it.

G

Jen,

Sorry I missed you--I think we were composing simultaneously.

Glad I made you chuckle as well...cornball with just a soupcon of sick **** is what I aspire to with respect to my humor LOL ;-)

Glad also that you like MP! Funny, I barely notice Kona Candy anymore (you know what I mean), after 4 months of non-stop blooming, but MP really does keep me guessing every day...I like that.

Your Kelly M: ouch! She'll be fine, though, and yeah, the blooms are beyond amazing. I plucked one a few weeks ago on the morning it bloomed, and it lasted an entire week in a bud vase! Anyway, here's hoping that by next spring yours will be accustomed to the Texas heat and will give you an eye-popping inflo ;-)

Regarding CE: tall? You mean these things are trees?! LOLOL Jen, I have absolutely no idea what you talkin' about--you CRAzy, girl! ;-)

Happy Friday!

G

The "MaryAnn" comment made me split my sides!! Where do you come up with this stuff? LMAO.......... Thank you for posting the pic's and sharing your sense of humor with all of us!

I'm glad I added MP to my collection as well as ALL of the others that are completely your fault! :)

Nicole

All of you just dated yourselves...LOL

K,

Right you are...but then again, I don't hear you asking, "Who the heck is MaryAnn??" LOL so, welcome to the club ;-)

G

Greg,

My Divine has little, tiny green pencil tip like things on the spent inflo. I am so excited, and will be an impatient mother, how long will it take to get bigger, I think I remember a long, long time.

Mindy

Just a guess but it sounds like it is producing more flowers from the inflo. Perhaps in a month there may be more blooms. I have a plumie that I thought was done, it also has some small similar tips that appear to be more buds.

Mindy,

DelWH is correct--I'd say a month, 5 weeks. Keep that inflo in as much sun as possible in the meantime. Also, not sure where Lake Co. is, but, for the next 24 hours, keep it out of Isaac's 75 mph winds! (The 'cane is starting to whip up pretty fierce here in Ft. Lauderdale--my babies are behind the storm shutters right now.)

Congrats, how exciting for you! :-)

G

Lake County is north west of orlando. I put all my plumerias in the shed this morning so they wouldn't get all that rain and wind.

Mindy

Right u are G!

Hope all you Floridians battened down your hatches! Gulf Coast, you, too!

We need the rain here so I'm all for a hurricane's tail hitting us but I hope you all near the water stay safe.

Greg - Great pics! Love love love that CE. Can't wait for my grafted one to bloom. :) And, Tally gave me a couple of cuttings also. Someday I will be posting CE pics!

That Divine inflo is gorgeous! Are they always so huge?

Did you get a lot of wind and rain? I know you're breathing a sigh of relief!

Hi Mindy. Same question for you about wind and rain??

We received alot of wind and rain but all was gone by about 3pm. I had put my plummies in my shed the evening before so they wouldn't be damaged.
Mindy

Mona,

Thank you for the compliment :-) Will look forward to returning the compliment when your CE blooms! It is a wonderful flower, I'm more enamored every day.

Regarding Divine: this tree is 3 years old now. It did bloom last year but this year's output is definitely "supersized" compared to last year--both the inflos and the individual flowers are much larger. Me likey :)

Also, I noticed your question as to Thumbalina's scent. I find it quite attractive--I describe it as a fine-perfume smell. Mine is a new addition to my collection this season, but it's already a definite keeper in my book. Very unique tree, all the way around. Two thumbs up from this hobbyist.

We talked Isaac in the other post :) Thanks again for the kind words, Mona.
G