I tried it and took a couple of years to kill it. It would not take our climate no matter where I put it. Al

It can be done I say.But not like in SouCal. You can't just dig a hole and plant it. You have to give it overhead cover in winter-you know that. That's a requirement. And yet,it has to get as much winter sun as possible.Plant in a raised bed..eliminate the chance of rot.You dont get that much rain so a raised bed is insurance. AND cover when temps are going to get near 32. If you have to use blankets or a wood and plastic frame..do it. It's temporary for at most, two months for you Dec-Jan. If you do all that you can and will be able to grow Plumeria into shrubs. And as valuable a large Plumeria becomes i wouldn't hesitate to use a light bulb under the plant to add warmth in the event of a freeze.
I dont get those people who grow tropical plants in cold areas..have them grow for years into fine plants..then do nothing in a freeze to protect them. When just a few minutes of covering would allow you to grow plants far out of their zone. Why would you want to be the guy to say such and such rare plant dies at this temperature..forget that!

Try "celadine" the cold hardiest Plumeria. There are some others known to be much more cold tolerant than average. Another who's name i cant recall is a peach color and heavy and early bloomer. Those you want to try.NOT Singapore Plumeria or those very tropical Plumerias..

Thanks for the imput.

Davissue,
Mine also lives in a pot under a patio/porch all year long.

Stan,
I think i have just the perfect spot to experiment with one. I don't know what variety i have. I bought it at the home depot and it just said Plumeria. They had them in the ferns section. It hasnt bloomed yet. The area that is rainshadowed is a south facing wall and is also very protected. I have a mango seedling there that flied through the winter without any protection and without any damage, even though we hit 30 a half dozen times or so. The cannas in that spot also bloom year round. I think i will take my chances and raise the bed a bit to plant the plumeria right against the wall. It is also an easy spot to protect, since there are two-story-house walls on the east and north and a patio roof to the west, leaving the spot open to the south.

I'll experiment this year and keep you all updated.

I've always had to take mine indoors, cept for one winter where the weather didn't get down past 40º. And I have to be very careful with the watering, last year I didn't water them once during the winter.
I'd think they'd be very happy in Fresno or Bakersfield. Hotter than heck and they'd need some shade, but the heat should cause more blooming.

It's not the frequency of watering, it's the drainage that matters (think Hawaii - lots of rain, with lava soil). Plummies are tropical succulents, and do not tolerate wet feet nor freezes. When weather cools, they go dormant and do not need water - misting is ok.

Magnum opus is very cold tolerant, however, if this is your first plummie, go with the fragrant less expensive and Celadine. =^,,^=

Raised bed?

Raised bed is the garden term for a planting area higher than the surrounding grounds. Could be formal brick or a simple mound of dirt.
You really should see fast growth ,central. Remember, in winter to also in the event of a big freeze..give extra protection to the base of the Plumeria..pile mulch or chipped bark(what i learned from 90 and 98).Or place that flood lamp near the base and aim up. It's those little things that get you through a freeze with a living,valuable, survivor, while the guy who does nothing see his year's of work melt away...

Time to revive this thread. So what were the results? Were you guys successful? Mine are all in pots, it'd be real nice to be able to put the in ground, with protection of course.

Thanks,

I'm in S.Ca along the coast.Mine are in pots and stay outside all year long,they are starting to bloom now.Have never had any problem with them,except the year the stupid gophers took over our yard in what seemed like overnight.That was when DH and i dug up lots of stuff and put them in pots,as we battled the gopher problem.

There's a canyon behind our house and until a couple years ago the gophers never came into our yard,now it seems we can't keep them out.
Kathi

Hmmm... my mother lives in LA (Sunset Zone 23) and has her plumeria plants planted outdoors in full sun (SW section of the garden) and they're over 6' tall with lots of blooms. Not sure what the varieties are, but she has a few with pink shades and the typical white/yellow center variety. She has typical clay soil amended with regular stuff you can get at any home store. No raised beds, no winter coverings, just outside like that year round. And believe it or not, she neglects the things and they still grow beautifully for her.

These plants started out as bareroot cuttings she got in Hawaii about 5 years ago.

I planted a 3' branched plant here in the east SF bay area in spring,and its been slow to leaf out,and it has a flower stalk just about ready to open. A second smaller Plumeria from a different source has larger leafs..it has that better rooted look.

Your first problem growing Plumeria in inland California is going to be the dry air. Plumeria likes humidity.

In the winter you have two problems. It is too cold and too dark. Days are too short and it isn't unusual to have dark, grey, foggy days for several weeks at a time. It is also not tolerant of chilly weather, so the consecutive days where the temperature doesn't get above the mid 50's will stress the plant. Light frosts will do a lot of damage. Several long frosty nights could kill the plant.

I dont think its the short days or clouds in winter-they are dormant anyways...its below 32F that are risky and worse-cold and wet.Cold and dry-if norcal had that, Plumeria would grow easy in the valley.Especialy after long summers most years,of 90-110.

I am in the second year of another try with Plumeria. This time I bought a rooted plant instead of the cuttings. I kept it through the dormant period in my unheated greenhouse which gets down to a low of about 45 at night. I was very careful to not water unless the soil was very dry. I lost my earlier try due to roots rotting during dormancy. I planted this one in my regular potting mix, I wish I had used a "gritty" mix instead. It is growing well at the moment and I am about to put it out into a partial sun location with an every other day automatic sprinkler. Al

I just ordered a rooted plumeria. What kind of soil do you use

I'm in S.Cali along the coast and mine are in the ground.I have i think 4 of them.Dh has moved them a couple times,and they always come back.Last year i gave cuttings from mine to a friend and a neighbor,and all are doing well.

Kathi

To root,plain perlite. After rooting, use that with say- 35% ~ potting soil. Its all the peat in potting soil that's bad. If you have a peat less soil- better.

In the central valley they wont take the many winter nights in the 20's. You have to store them under shelter. But- its worth it as they thrive on the heat. 100's are what they burst in.

Now,if plant one out,build a small winter greenhouse over it, mildly heat to above frosty temps?- THEN you can grow them outdoors.

Wow, it's cool to see old threads like these come back to life. I haven't tried to grow plumeria after posing the initial question (I'm Central_cali369, but forgot my password so I log in using Facebook). Last week, while walking my dog I had to do a double take when I saw a 4-foot, branched plumeria growing in the central Fresno neighborhood. I'll have to walk by again and snap a photo. I'm almost certain it was a plumeria.

Josue do you still have your plumerias? I live in Visalia near Fresno and just recently purchased a few plumerias. I've researched a lot about the care of plumerias but I'm curious to know if you managed to keep them after all these years.

Just came back from HD ( needed concrete mix) and saw Plumeria obtusa in big pots for $35. Cheap!

About as large as mine is 3 years after getting as a cutting. Of course,I was set back this winter. Still,saves time if you spend a bit more...

@Andy, I since moved and now only have three young plumeria (2 from seed, 1 from a cutting). I live in Fresno now, though. And a neighbor a few houses away from mine has a large one in the ground that's flowering now. I first noticed it four years ago when I moved here and it's flowered every summer since then.

Stan, that's good to hear. I might have to swing by the HD soon!

The Singapores looked like mine in size. No blooms yet. I think the dwarf might be easier in my climate to get to bloom. You? either!..but the dwarf comes in colors the larger type does not.

Did you just buy that at HD Stan? And is that Pilosocereus on the right? I still don't know whether I can grow that here. Seems like most information online suggests it's frost tender.

I grow mine in Modesto it’s now 13 years old and about 12 - 14 foot tall. I winter it over in the garage. This past spring we transplanted it into a 3x3 tree box. And put big fat wheels on it. I usually put it up when the temps at night hit and stay around 45 degrees usually the end of Nov or beginning of Dec. and bring it out in Februar.y. We’ll be moving in about a year or so. Would like to donate to the plumeria society, but I can’t seem o find one here in the valley

They love heat,no doubt about it. Mine was from a cutting in 1998,..grew well,I planted in the ground in 2010,it nearly died as all roots and all but two main branches rotted in a wet year ..and looking back,letting grasses grow under it was a very bad,near lethal mistake.

I now have planted out a second white plum..bare ground all around it. Slightly amended soils from years of being the vegetable garden years ago.

All my other Plumeria in the central bay area are pot plants.

Actually,on the youtube now in 2020 there is a vid of 2 small tree sized Plumerias in the central valley as unbelievable as that sounds. Substantial plants. The key might be the soil is sandy not clay. Check it out.

Plumerias in Livermore Ca

Hu,I posted a largish Royal palm growing in San Jose. Growingontheedge.net