Here she is last year, growing all weird on me:

And, now with second cutting, staked up and potted together:

I asked this same question 2 years ago, and Bill said it would be fine. I put 2 in a big black pot with a piece of plastic that I cut to fit down the middle in case I ever divide them up. They are doing just fine, and one has the start on an inflo right now.....course it's inside and as I'm in Iowa...I might or might not get flowers over the winter.. :)

I think its also good for saving space. Instead of 2 three gallon pots for young plants maybe you have 1 five gallon to store. I would think sized in that type of scenario the negative effects are minimal.

An observation I have noted: a distant neighbor which I routinely pass by while jogging has two large gang rooted pots of Plumeria on thier driveway. Approximately same size as your cuttings or slightly larger. IMO the leaves were yellow/green, spindlely, and I never saw a bloom on them all summer long despite being in a full sun location.

I wouldn't do it after a plant matures past 3-4 years old. I like stuff big and green and moving a 100 lb potted plumeria isn't that big of a deal to me.

Thanks for the input, guys. I've now read nearly every post and comment for the last couple of years and don't recall seeing this addressed but I might've missed something.

The biggest grouping I've seen around here (about 4' wide and 6' tall) looks really good and always seems to have blooms through the season. However, I'm learning that Singapores are a bit finicky and I'm reaching the point where if I don't see blooms soon I'll be tempted to give them away.

Singapores are finicky? Really? I have 5, I did buy them as mature plants for $80. They have been awesome. To me, when I visit my family in Hawaii, Whities (i.e. singapore White) are the prettiest trees. I love the dark green leaves, which are for the most part, evergreen. Also, compared to my other plants, the whites have the best scent, to me the typical plumeria scent. The leaves are thicker, and a different texture, clearly. Recently I saw a Singapore Pink, which was very expensive.

My plants are doing great. This upcoming spring, I will probably try and root some cuttings. Maybe I am lucky because I bought bigger plants. I lbe my whities!

Oh, Labland, don't get me wrong--I love the scent and foliage of Singapore and have admired your photos of them in their new planter. They were always around when I was a girl and are the quintessential plumeria flower to me. But I have been so disappointed with mine. I'm going to try some very specialized soils and food, plus epsom salts in the spring and see if I can't get better results next summer.

Jen

Jen,

I understand, I agree, to me they are THE plumeria for all season. What are you having problems with, rooting cuttings? Because I honestly haven't tried to root one, After the freeze in 2007 I wimped out and bought 3 trees that were well rooted. I am thinking of trimming one this Spring, we will see if it develops roots!

Jen also!

Hey Jen!

Actually, I managed to root both large cuttings I took from the mother plant after a good pruning for shape. Didn't know what I was doing, just did what my mom said, which was to stick them in dirt and don't water. As you can see, the one did beautifully and is out-pacing its parent. The smaller cutting (not pictured) is cute as could be at 10" high; looks just like a miniature.

The mother plant as a one-tip cutting got some black tip or something the first winter and afterward grew outward, as all the new tips are now doing--maybe it's a dwarf variety? Then one of our yearly hailstorms (first pic shows leaf tears) did more damage and the tips that have come out since have been small and unproductive. The foliage looks great otherwise so I don't know why it's never bloomed. This summer I moved it into even more sun and gave it more food and still nothing. Very frustrating!

Btw, really love the latest photos of your planter. What a lovely mountain view above the wall!

Glad to hear they are doing better. I really enjoy the whities in the winter when everything else is dormant, I have another in in a large pot, that is doing great as well. I do have worries as to how the planter will do in the winter. The sun moves lower to the south of the house (the planter is on the north side). All I can do is watch and wait. The trees have done so well, I think I will just take out the other plants, and fill in the holes with more plumerias. Make my own little jungle as it were. Will see!

I am so happy to find this site where plumeria lovers can get together and share their love of plumerias!

Jen, keep up the good work!

G'day!

I know I'm 6 years late, but I figured if I found this thread useful, maybe someone else might also.

I currently have 7 healthy Plumeria trees and one that is having a hard time rooting.

My eldest tree was a "cutting" ( I hacked it off ) from a mother tree I had in my old house; which I had replanted from the front of the house to Te back. It must be a hardy, because I have potted it over and over and it blooms every year.

Four of my other trees are sharing space within my herb garden/veggie patch; in planters. Of these four, two flowered and two didn't. They are all different ages.

For climate reference, I live in Sydney Australia, in the western most suburb, at the base of the Blue Mountains. We are in a valley and it gets really hot in summer and cold in winter.

I think gardening is 80% luck and 20% technic. This has been my experience with different plants, even roses and bonsi plants. And of course a lot of patience.

Good luck to all with your gardening endeavours.

I had to re-read this one because of two Jens calling each other Jen got me confused as to which Jen I was reading.

Vazzaro, What is your typical cold temperature and do you have to protect your plants or just leave them exposed?

G'day, the-first-kms2

I added a link to my local weather average, although we do have cooler nights than 6°C and we do get the cold wind from the Mountains

http://m.penrithaustralia.com.au/info/climate/

I do not cover them. I have them in front of some form of structure (the house, the fence) I think that helps with wind protection. As long as they get sun, they are happy.

There are a lot of Plumeria trees in my area, and big ones. And believe me they do not get any attention. There are a lot in government owned housing; the ones in house gardens might get some attention but the ones in apartment blocks don't, and they thrive! They are in the ground and mostly in a north facing position.

Hope this helps.

Look familiar, K? I wonder how PJ is doing at your friend's. No more blacktip, I hope.

Vazzaro, you're right, they take a lot of patience and trial-and-error!

I have learned in these past 6 years that genetically identical plumerias will be happier together in a pot than plumerias (or other plants, for that matter) that are not related. Seems they "recognize" their kin and play nice when planted close.

I'll only put seedlings from the same pod together, or a cutting off the main tree in the main tree's pot. They always seem to root easily this way, and the seedlings all do well together.

Hi Jen! Long time! My plumerias are doing great too.

I I have a question for anyone who can help. I have been growing my plumerias in zone 9, southern Ca. We just bought a retirement house in Idaho Falls which is Zone 5. Have never lived in snow country before So. CA born and raised!

I have a basement room, which opens to the south that it is feasible to try and grown some of my plumerias. It is heated as it is part of the entire house. But even at their "hot" weatherman (90) it still gets down into the 40-50's at night!

Is it doable to bring some of my potted plumerias up to Idaho? I am not sure I would be able to have them outside.

thoughts?

Great to hear from you, Jen! And thank you for the update on the seedling--it's a lovely yellow, such a rare color in a seedling! Do you remember which seeds they were? Maybe Peterson's Gold?

I hope you can take some of your plumies to your retirement home in Idaho. There's a poster here who grows them in Utah--remember him? He just keeps them under grow lights for the long winter. I bet DSP or Celadine would make it. There's also a white (Sierra something) that is a good one for cold and high altitudes.

Hi Jen again! Sorry, I am in Idaho now with family for their vacation with my niece and their children. Lots of fun!

Yes, I think it is Peterson's Gold, you had also mention Vera Cruz Rose. The other seeding has a different growth. The yellow immediately grow a big strong trunk. The other is much smaller. They both had developed inflows...or tried that one December time. So the inflo starting died off very short, but enough for both plants to branch off.

The other still has not developed an inflo since then...so far. But I noticed even when the seedling did bloom, it was late in the season. It will be interesting to see if it too is a late bloomer!

Thanks for the good news for my plumerias and Idaho, it might work out! I would miss them terribly!!