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gardenofthemuse

Bought some blue plumerias, or have I?

gardenofthemuse
12 years ago

Hello All,

I'm new to this board but have been a lurker for a while on the Orchid/Florida gardening board. My name is Sue and I live in SW Florida. I have had plumerias for many years, at one point before hurricane charlie I had around 65 different varieties. Afterward I was left with about 15 good plants.

A few weeks ago while browsing on ebay for orchids I found an auction for blue plumerias and on impluse bought these seeds. *Now* I did some research and can't find anything on 'blue' plumerias. Is there really a blue plumeria out there or have I been duped by photoshop and a not so honest seller?

I will love them I'm sure, no matter the color, but would sure like to stop telling people I have seeds coming from some blue plumeria parents if they dont even exsist! Here is the link to the auction, they sure are pretty if they are really what the flowers look like.

Thanks

Here is a link that might be useful: Blue Plumeria

Comments (22)

  • mksmth zone 7a Tulsa Oklahoma
    12 years ago

    I have never seen one that blue, even if there was the seed probably wouldnt come true. google search of Leela-blue16 only brings up ebay so Im sure its B.S.

    Hopefully you will get some good seeds and who know what color they may eventually be.

  • jandey1
    12 years ago

    I'm sorry to tell you this, Sue, but there are no blue plumerias. Those have been seriously photoshopped, all of them except Marino's Rainbow and the last one, from what I can tell.

    There isn't even really a purple plumeria, just lavender hues (Jack's Purple) or pinks that fade to lavender (Pinker Blue) and those are very rare. Seedlings are a mixed bag, anyway, as many will look like their parents and many will not.

    I hope you still enjoy your seedlings and end up with some nice plants. Below is a link to a reputable seed seller.

    Jen

    Here is a link that might be useful: Plumeria seeds

  • animalcraker
    12 years ago

    Pink stream is prety, but I've never seen one like it and imagine it's probably a photoshoped Celedine. Muang Mapang looks similar to musk rainbow so that might be true under the right conditions. Leela-Puntip doesn't exist and looks photoshoped; there's something odd going on at the top center of the pic. Leela-Blue16 total fake, I would guess it's a hot pink with a yellow center. Blue Pretty & Leela-Bluesea both Fake. The last 6 look to be true, though I've never seen anything quite like Leela-Somsangtong.

    Some other big red flags are that it's a new seller, often times bad sellers will create new accounts to hide their true identities. And this particular seller has a feedback score of 9 and is already down to a 90.9% rating.

    Rule of thumb is that if it seems to good to be true then it probably is. If you find a flower out there that you're unsure about then ask the seller if they have any other pics of it, that way you can be assured that it's probably real.

    ~Jen

  • Loveplants2 8b Virginia Beach, Virginia
    12 years ago

    Welcome to the forum!!!

    I just want to say that i was recently taken by a seller on ebay. I never usually buy anything on this site because im worried about being taken to the cleaners... Guess what ?
    I was!!! I purchased a Cerise and it never arrived... I waited to long to complain to ebay and they said that i couldnt even get my money back for paypal. So be careful, after 30 days you seem to be left with nothing to stand on. The only thing i could do is to write up a report to ebay and then to another site to make sure others know that this seller is a person who only takes your money and runs...

    It really made me sick, especially since im so leary about buying on ebay. The ones i trust are the nurserys like JJ's. Florida colors and Maui Plumeria Gardens. They are the real thing and i would not but from anyone else.

    SO all be aware of this seller that was just posted.

    Take care everyone.

    Im sorry to here about all of your losses from Hurricane Charlie. I remember that Hurricane. We here in Virginia Beach have had our share of Hurricanes as well, so i feel your pain. I hope you get your collection back to where you once had it. Im sure it was heart breaking to loose that many.

    Take care...and again, welcome to the forum!!!

    Laura in VB

  • honeybunny2 Fox
    12 years ago

    I think I would have purchased the seeds if I would have seen them. I love blue and purple plants. Still trying to locate the blue or purple brugmansia( I have the datura plants) Barbra

  • tdogdad
    12 years ago

    Such a rip off....very sad. Totally dishonest.

  • gardenofthemuse
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thanks for all the replies! I will just be happy with whatever pops up, if I get some interesting colors, great.

    The good thing is that I am now excited about my plummies once again after many years of not wanting to do much of anything with them. So at the very least, this has been a good lesson and a small price to pay for regaining my enthusiasm! Will let you know how/if the seeds work out.

  • Jalien
    10 years ago

    Unfortunately you were taken by dishonest sellers. I reported this fraud to eBay a number of times. Also, went so far as to fill out a Rip-off Report after some lengthy investigation and no actions from eBay. I did my best to warn fellow plumeria growers. Good luck with the colours on seeds though!

    Here is a link that might be useful: Blue Plumeria Fraud

  • disneyhorse
    10 years ago

    I just want to say there ARE reputable eBay sellers! I've used the seller "bloomingplumerias" on eBay a few times this year and they have the nicest plants in my collection. They take a photo of every actual plant, ship within a day or two, are great about answering questions... And I've gotten some of them with inflos or surprise inflos and they've bloomed true to what they are supposed to be. There is also a description of the flowers and their scent. My favorite place to buy!

  • Jalien
    10 years ago

    Oh no question, there are many reputable frangipani sellers on eBay. In fact I have bought from many of them over the years. It's primarily the overseas sellers posting the blue, deep purple, black, and off-the-wall hybrids you must be wary of. The way they scam most buyers is through the phytosanitation and the length of shipping time. 99.9% of the plants never survive to verify the actual colour one purchased. The other 0.01% forgot what colour they purchased.
    When I originally investigated the blue plumeria scam, not one eBay member I contacted had a plant survive or a seed take. Ever notice how virtually none of the overseas merchants actually sell cuttings? They sell either rooted plants which are pulled immediately after the initial root formation or seeds. Buyer beware!
    The best way to ship viable plumeria , which are expected to take extended periods in the mail, due to shipping or SPS agreement concerns, is via cuttings once they've scabbed over.

  • disneyhorse
    10 years ago

    Well, your Blue Hawaii looks healthy at least!!! Can't wait to see its blooms....

  • Lnorigb
    10 years ago

    I'd change its name to "Poor Man's Gold." No matter, she's a healthy baby. Which is nice cos those other buyers report Los Muertos!

  • Jalien
    10 years ago

    Gratz on keeping one alive Simi! Think your guess might be spot on for the colour.
    Don't feel bad though, after some years of collecting I still get burned. I bought a spliced Barry Orange last season that just bloomed white. Just hoping the real colour shows on second season. I am told you can't judge first season blooms on splices as the true colours don't become evident until second blooming. Cheers if they're right. My splicing adventures won't commence until next season....circumstances permitting.
    I did find a seller in Key Largo (another eBay user) who had posted cuttings of an iolite blue plumeria (rather pricey for cuttings too I might add). They claimed to be a certified nursery, but when I inquired for more details I never received a response. Gave me the feeling that they didn't want to talk to locals. :D

    This post was edited by Jalien on Sat, Jul 20, 13 at 23:01

  • PRO
    the_first_kms2
    10 years ago

    100% agree. Blue Plumerias = Yeti.

    Just thinking out loud if plumeria bloom colors are susceptible to minerals in the soil or acidity, etc.? We all know they respond to heat and humidity. If I wanted to change the color of my Hydrangeas i would add aluminum oxide or acidifier.

    As for Hurricane Charley. My hard headed old man decided to ride it out at his place in Islamorada....He has since wisely reconsidered that choice for all following storms.

  • lanilani
    10 years ago

    There are no such thing as blue or deep purple as these Fraudulent ebay sellers (one seller has 15 different seller IDs)
    I bought so many like Blue Hawaii, Sky Violet, Orange Salmon, Danai Delight, (which should be ok but were not)
    And of those that survived they were ALL white with yellow centers. Ebay does not care and i spent over 7 hours trying to get their trust and safety dept to sanction the seller with all their different IDs NOTHING
    They told me they need more people to report the items as fraud which you can do by clicking on the report item link to the right of Buyer Protection Logo but please lets put an end to this scam I have tons of pictures proving that all my B49, and the others listed are frauds!!!

  • joanr
    10 years ago

    Lanilani,

    I actually have a plumeria called Danai Delight and it is one of my favorites. It has not been a strong bloomer but the blooms are beautiful. Last year was the first time it bloomed for me and it bloomed again this year. I bought it from a seller off ebay. He was located in Houston so I could go pick it up from him.

    But yes, I did order a plumeria from Thailand and yes, it did die. I also have some seedlings from "007 aka Leela; White Schneider - was suppose to be almost black; and Siriyupa". No, they have not bloomed blue, purple, black... but they did bloom for me this year as 2 year old seedlings and a couple are actually quite pretty. Will have to wait till next year to see what the blooms look like.

    Joan

  • Tim Ferry
    7 years ago

    Biggest problem I see on the eBay site which is the zones the plant can handle

    big clue they don't know what they are really doing. Try to have a plumeria not die below 50

  • Carol Stevens
    6 years ago

    I also have "Blue Hawaii". It hasn't bloomed yet but I did get a healthy rooted cutting and have had it over 2 years. And Tim, I live in S. FL- great plumie weather!

  • Kawagoe(Home of SF 49ers Santa Clara CA)
    6 years ago

    I was sucker myself. I purchased 4 years ago on EBay as Blue Hawii from Thailand and following year it bloom. It was white with yellow center NOID.

  • PRO
    the_first_kms2
    6 years ago

    It happens. While there may be some good vendors out there I will only buy from known suppliers and at PSA sanctioned sales. It's not an option for everyone but whenever you can please go to those sanctioned or vetted vendors first.

  • HU-518072790
    2 years ago

    never purchase anything from plumeriaplus.com they are absolute crooks. i wish I checked out the BBB before purchasing. they have already had several complaints i had to file a dispute with my credit card to get a refund. they never even shipped the so called blue plumeria. i too believed what they were selling was real.

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