Dave,

Those are some beautiful blooms and I am in love with your Hilo Beauty. Those blooms are absolutely gorgeous. Good to know that it does not like 100 degree temps which we get here in Texas! I will have to make sure I put mine in a semi-shadey spot.

Joan

Dave,
Gorgeous pics, especially love the Kimo one of my favs.
Good to see that you have plumies popping!
Thanks for the eye candy.

Fabulous photos, Dave!

Love Kimo during the warm spell.
Love Kimo during the cool spell. :)

If you have Cali Sally photo from last year handy to post, I would love to compare.

That Pu'u Kahea bloom... is it as large as it appears? I bought my PK from Derrick and it didn't look as if it would make it so he sent 2 more! LOL I think I'm going to have to pay for it because it looks like the original one IS going to make it.

So is your Hilo photo from cooler weather, then? Because it is looking outstanding!

I'm hoping to be more of a photo contributor next year!

Thanks!

Great pics Dave!!!
Thanks.
Lonnie

Joan, I'm not entirely sure it was the heat that bothered it. It was also really pot-bound.

moonie: Puu Kahea should have been larger I'm thinkin'. It was maybe 3.5" wide.

The 'Hilo Beauty' bloom was from late June/early July I think. I have it blooming again right now in Sept. But temps are cool at night and it's very slow to open up.

Here's Calif. Sally from previous year. It had more of a rainbow look (although blooms seem to fade quickly):

And it was larger too:

{{gwi:1205247}}
('Intense Rainbow' should be labeled 'Lei Rainbow')

They are gorgeous!

I am very curious now about Hilo so will be paying a lot of attention to it next year. Have you ever cut yours? I am wondering if everyone has the experience with it dying back after cutting.

Tally Ho!

Tally, Hilo Beauty seems to be doing just fine right now. I've only cut back one branch (and I rooted it for a friend) but never had any die-back. How far back does it die? Like to the ground? LOL!

Dave,

From what I heard, if you cut part of a branch, it will die back to the main trunk. I had a Charlotte Ebert do that to me but luckily once it got to the trunk, it stopped. Never experienced that with any others but then again all mine are young so I won't be trimming any till next year.

The Staffords here in Houston even commented that Hilo Beauty will do that.

Joan

I would love to purchase a plumeria plant but I'm wondering if I can grow it here where I live in southeast ohio or should I try the dwarf plumerias that I will have to bring in during out cold season

These are all lovely. Anyone selling cuttings? I'm in Brevard county Florida

Gorgeous Dave!! I love your Hilo Beauty! Way cool that she's blooming for you again. :)

Nice Dave ! Your doing something right. The pic where your holding them doesn't even look real. They look like they were painted. Good job. Peg

Dave - kinda scary what Tally and joan say about Hilo dying back, huh? But, hey, you have experience that it isn't always the case! Good to keep in the back of one's mind, though.

Just love all your blooms. Thanks for posting last years Ca. Sally. What a big girl she is! :)

hulalady - yes, you absolutely can! of course dwarfs are easier to store, but you don't -have- to go with dwarfs. :)

Hey Lynn! How's Rhonda getting along in her new home?

peg - you're right! I scrolled back up and it does look like those blooms are painted. Very nice!

I think that last picture has the 3 photoshopped over the California Sally.

Beautiful Dave!!!

Always love seeing your trees and yard.. So beautiful!!!

The strongest tree for me this season is the one that you gifted to me. The Miami Rose is still putting out huge flowers and doesn't know or want to slow down. SHe is followed by Pyscho and the the third best is Desert Sunset.

It does look like California Sally is huge..but that is her!! Bud did a wonderful job finding her and naming her. I have a few CS and im so excited at this size flower.. I have one that was huge this year... ill see if i have the

Great pics Dave!!!

Love seeing them!!!

Take care,

Laura

De1WH, no, that shot was not Photoshopped, besides my adding the labels of course.

I just held all those in my hand at the same time. I really wanted to compare the sizes and colors of those particular blooms, especially next to the huge Cal. Sally!

Regarding dieback, yes, I've actually seen dieback -- where you leave about 5 inches of branch and it whithers and dies back to main trunk. Can't remember which variety I've seen that on though. However, I can't recall that I was devastated by it and its propensity would not keep me from collecting a particular variety.

I wonder if there's a connection between dieback and a variety's difficulty of rooting.

Laura, I was going to say I'm so glad Miami Rose is blooming so well for you! There must be something it likes in your lower latitude! LOL!

Mo' heat, mo' sun, mo' better. LOL!

Did you repot it and give it more root room? Gritty mix? It is a very strong tree (and a tree it will be unless you keep it 'in bounds').

I need to repot Ca. Sally and we'll see if I can get better bloom next year.

Wow, Dave, fabulous blooms! That Jeannie just jumps off the screen and grabs you by the throat.

Do you think CA Sally is smaller this year, too? Maybe needs re-potting? I've only had Pu'u this summer, but she's definitely more sun-tolerant than others so perhaps you're right about the shade. Mine sat in the "scorching patch" of my yard and never burned, and it's a young plant.

I know you don't have huge numbers, but you sure have picked some great varieties for your patch.

jandey:

Part of the deal with Jeannie 'jumping off the screen' is my cheap camera! LOL! It doesn't capture reds correctly, unlike Greg's camera, which seems to do a great job.

Yes, CA Sally is smaller this year. I think because it's root bound. Same with Pu'u Kahea, although Pu'u didn't get near enough sun.

I did have some plants not bloom this year. Those included Psycho White, No-ID red, which is hot pink, Samoan Red (whatever that is), Guilot's Sunset. I just don't get blooms on everything every year. But the plants that do bloom every year -- like Penang Peach -- those are the keepers.

Joan:

I was going to say that 'Hilo Beauty' is best situated where the flowers are backlit, in my opinion. I have it placed near our kitchen bay window in a Western exposure. It is backlit by the sun in the late afternoon and it just glows!

Hi Dave,

Sorry to be late to the party!!

I have been working to much!! " )

The Miami Rose is a happy tree! It was happy with you as well.. MO..?

When i brought that big baby home, it did go through a period of mild shock!! Don't laugh.. it was a long trip home ( 3 hrs) with this giant tree in my back seat coming forward to the front seat!! LOL.. Dave even helped me wrap it up..

She was happy after i left her alone to adjust.. Then i root pruned her and potted her up to a five gallon container. SHe really liked the trim and i think it has rewarded me this year. I did keep the soil consisent as to what you were using. Next year, i will repot, bare root into the gritty mix. I do repot the little ones more than the bigger ones.. The big boys will be next year.

Thank you again for this beauty!! I LOVE IT!!!

I still think of that citrus... LOL..

Ill email you about the other things mentiones a few days ago. I had to laugh at spell check... woa!!!

LOLOl...

Take care Dave,

Laura

Hulalady, you can absolutely grow them in Ohio, just choose a variety that is a good bloomer that you can bring indoors, like dwarf Singapore pink. Your growing season is a bit short but it can be done!

Quidicane, sorry I didn't see your question up there at first, but you are near one of my favorite mail-order plumeria nurseries. Brad's Buds and Blooms is in Geneva, FL and they have a fantastic selection. They show on the weekends by appointment, or will sell cuttings or rooted plants online.

Hi Hulalady,
I live in zone 6(western NY), and I have somewhere around a hundred or so. They can be easily grown in our zone, and also easily grown over the winter, since they really do not require much in terms of light and water, and even heat(all though I like to keep mine in temps that are no cooler than 50 at night).

I personally have a mix of dwarfs, and standards. The experience I have had with Dwarf Singapore Pink, has made me think that this variety must be known as a dwarf because it wont get to mammoth proportions, BUT my DSP is BIG! I have had it for three years now, and it has grown more tips than any other tree I have. This tree is around 2 and a half feet tall now, and by the end of next season, it will be at least 3ft tall if not more.

You have found a great group of people here that will really be of great help to you. There is tons of great info on diffrent varieties and also on growing the trees themselves.

I wish you the best on your plumeria adventure!

Andrew