To me CA Sally's large flower size and colors more than make up for the lack of fragrance. Mine is mildly fragrant, but it also depends on humidity, temperature and age of the flower. And it's not what I would call a fantastic fragrance or a strong fragrance, but not bad. Growing conditions probably affect it differently in your region.

If fragrance is your priority, you'd certainly want different varieties. Everyone has different priorities.

For me, my priorities in choosing plumerias would be:

#1 flower shape, size and color(s) - (I like large flower size, wide overlapping petals, and colors preferably leaning toward reds, oranges and rainbows)

#3 good bloomer and easy grower in pot culture (it must be able to bloom reliably every year)

#4 compactness of the plant (getting to be more and more of an issue! LOL!)

#5 fragrance (I see fragrance as a plus). But I find many other plants more fragrant -- like tuberoses.

#6 keeping quality of flowers (if they wilt or fade in summer heat or rain after one day, what good are they?)

On the other hand, few plumerias will meet all my criteria, so that's why I get many different cultivars!

Thank you Dave!

I was just wondering if the temps would change the fragrance at all. I can understand mild fragrance or no fragrance at all. But I am not sure how I feel about undesirable fragrance. LOL.

For me in the order of importance...

Fragrance
Rarity
Flower shape, size, color
Growth Habit
Compactness
Keeping quality

So no fragrance or bad fragrance don't get to come home with me due to my limited space. I find that fragrance makes me very happy. That's why I'm addicted to Plumerias.

I also find Orchids are also stunning... but I get bored looking at them for 6 months at a time blooming it's head off but have absolutely no fragrance.

Thanks again Dave.

Do you have a Dwarf Singapore Pink? I think it would be average or better in all of your categories. Also Penang Peach would be top in everything but compactness for me.

Dave, fragrance is very important for me, too. If you want fragrant orchids, try Maxillaria rufescens (strong vanilla), several Brassavolas (sweet fragrance at night), Neostylis Lou Sneary (strong, sweet), Maxillaria tenuifolia (coconut), Cymbidium Chen's Ruby 'Gold Tiger' (strong citrus and blooms twice a year!) and most Miltoniopsis (some more, some less and very different fragrances) - just to name a few.
I know this is the wrong forum, but I couldn't resist...

No-Clue, I had a similar experience with Hilo Beauty - everybody loves the scent of this one, I'd rather not have it. So it's a very personal thing.

Happy growing everyone,
Iso

No-Clue,

Hahahahaha!! I have heard others say the same about Cal Sally so you are not alone. I have one but it hasn't bloomed yet, so I have no opinion.

Scent is so subjective. Many people love the smell of Samoan Fluff, but I am not fond of it and find many other plumies with that same scent and it's very difficult to describe.

Tony

Iso, thank you for the suggestions! I will definitely look them up especially the one w/ the coconut scent! Yum. Glad to hear I'm not the only one picking up weird scent though.

Tony - I am relieved to hear others have the same experience... I just didn't think scent can be subjective.

When I saw CA Sally w/ the HUGE flower head, I buried my face into her flowers and was so shocked when I got a good sniff!. Next time I'm going in slow and easy. LOL

No Clue,

If you like scent, you mike like Sngapore White. To me, it has the best, classic scent for plumerias. It is an evergreen especially here in California, but be careful, it is sensitive to cold weather. The scent of the Whitie is strong and lemon-y. It only comes in white, but love it. It is hard to root aparently. I found mine in a nursery in Chino. Unfortunately I lost two of the 4 i had due to cold, and the strong wind we had last Christmas, but they did great for 5 years at least. Now, I keep them covered in freezing weather, and keep them out of the HEAVY winds.

You can find them in Hawaii for sale. Jim Little's son has them for sale rooted on site with ebay... At least he did last time I checked.

NC - I can understand exactly what you mean about some scents being nasty. My rose-scented noid white, (which has taken to having a strong pink band on the petals edges and a very light pink center around the yellow star) is very offensive after the bloom is spent. It smells like baby ca-ca! I'm not kidding! LOL

k - although not dwarf, I thought Penang Peach was considered compact?

Hi NC,

Im sorry to hear that it doesn't smell good to you.

Everyone has different scents to different blooms.

I can smell a fragrance sometimes, then i try again and i cant smell anything..

I agree, California Sally has a slight scent, but it still is a beauty and i love mine.

Hear is a pic of my California Sally..

Take Care,

Oh.. Congratulations on your Lani purchase.. That is just wonderful!!! : ) I am so happyy for you!!!

Laura

Those are some huge flowers, Laura! Just beautiful!

Labland I don't have Singapore White so I will have to check that one out. Thank you for suggesting it.

Laura, your CA Sally almost makes me change my mind! Lol. What a gorgeous plant!

That's so interesting about CS's scent! Never heard that until this post. Mine hasn't bloomed yet so I'm now intrigued.

Yeah, I think I'd put up with not putting my nose in it for an inflo like Laura's! Beautiful.

Dave, I'm with you on #1, to the letter. In fact, I think your whole list could be mine, too, lol.

Jandey I agree that CA Sally is absolutely beautiful! The blooms in person are HUGE too. I spread one out and she was as large as my palm. Granted I'm not a big person... but still she pushes out gorgeous and big flowers.

However, am more of fragrance person. When I see something that gorgeous I EXPECT a heavenly scent. It is the scent that hypnotizes me and makes me happy. Beautiful scent to me in a way is like a drug. Hard to explain the impact on me. So when I saw My Valentine, her beauty captivated me and rendered me speechless, but it was her soft sweet fragrance that made me have to have her, thus the search begins all over again. LOL Now I sound like a psycho! Wait isn't there a Plumie by that name? Wonder how she smells?

having allergies has advantages (especially in my job!) so I am not too picky about smells. I used to grow amorphophallus which smell like rotting flesh. The stapeliads (I think I spelled that wrong) are blooming now and I move them away from the house cause even I can smell them, and they attract flies.

The flowers are just too pretty.
Tally HO!

While we are on the topic of fragrance. My Jeannie Moragne and Summer Spice had hugh inflos. I picked a bloom from each. Jeannie had wonderful strong honeysuckle smell. Summer Spice had a strong spice smell when I walked by the plant to pick the bloom, the individual bloom only had a slight scent. Is this normal? This was the first inflo for each plant. It was great, Johns wife told me that Summer Spice was one of her favorite plants, that's is why I bought it. I really like the color, and the fragrance of the entire inflo was great. Barbra