I don't have an idea of the value of that tree. As you mention, it is not a common tree in your area so someone would have to realize its value for you to get what it is worth.

Why do you feel you cannot keep it? If it is just the size, why not take cuttings from it to maintain a more compact size? Looking at your pictures, I can see several places to create multibranched cuttings that you could root for yourself or sell.
Mike

Good idea, and I agree, since it's uncommon to the area they may not understand what it's worth, or understand how to properly care for it... I can tell you from what I've paid for plumeria it won't be cheap... good job at growing such an impressive specimen...
Brittany

Thank you both.

Yes, it is pretty impressive considering that I have grown it from seed.

Personnally, I cannot bear to chop it up myself to make cutting. I have prunned it in the past to keep it from spreading too wide and have several smaller plants. But a whole scale whacking...well, I do not want to do it since I have been growing it for 10 years or so.

I thought maybe someone with their own greenhouse or a buisiness would like something unique.

Wildcat

You may want to contact someone who does landscaping for large office buildings or hotels. Someone with an enclosed courtyard with natural lighting may find such a specimen perfect for a tropical indoor landscape. Or try a university with a horticultural department.

Just a guestimate your plant may be worth a few hundred dollars. If you know the seed parent, it may be worth more if the blooms are similar to the parent.
Mike

I'd definitely chop it up into LARGE cuttings. Root them all and then place a sign on your curb "Plumerias for Sale". You might also mention you have rooted cuttings for sale in this forum and in your regional GardenWeb forum. Sell them for about $15-20 per plant. Not sure you'd get much more than that. Of course it might help if you had one blooming (or at least large photos) for people to see what it can potentially look like. At Downtown Disney they were selling unrooted cuttings for $10 each! But they had several large specimens and lots of photos.

Oh, and keep the best cutting for yourself!

A local Garden here in Fairfax County has a large plant sale every May. Vendors from all over come to sell their plants here--many vendors specialize in unusual plants. One woman just sells brugmansias. I could see you selling your plumerias in a similar way. Maybe a Fall plant sale would work better for plumerias.

Wildcat, that is sooo beautiful.Bet it smells wonderful when in bloom. I can see why you wouldn't want to chop it up! The idea about contacting universities is good. Or maybe your local botanical garden (if they have a greenhouse/conservatory) might want it. Or, you could just auction it on ebay with a set reserve price. I think you should keep a cutting for yourself though since it is your baby and you grew it from seed :)
~SJN

Yes, I have at least one cutting growing (6+ tips) that I started a couple years ago that I will keep.

I have also thought about ebay as well. (I'm thinking about selling my gorgeous black 89,000 mile '55 Chevy 2 door there too as opposed to doing the newpapers and car books.) But I have never sold anything on ebay before.

Worst comes to worse, I'll sink the pot into my garden again this year and it will truely be glorious this year, but then I will just have this issue again in the Fall.

Wildcat

smaller cuttings, sale them on ebay....

It would be a crime to cut that tree into "cuttings". If you decide to sell it please let me know. I may drive from the Turlock, ca. to buy it. It's a very nice plant.

Here is a more accurate picture of the flowers. The above picture was shot with a flash and shows the leaf color better. The picture below is without the flash and you can see the evening blue sky reflecting off the leaves altering their color, however, the flower color is more accurate, yellow centers with white tips. (The flower tips are actually white...for some reason, posting the picture here gives them a pink hue, but that is not right.)

Wildcat
{{gwi:1157768}}

wow... what does it smell like??
Brittany

Hello Brittany,

It is hard to describe, but everyone I give a flower to really likes the pleasing sweet aroma and wishes they has a whole lei of these flowers.

Wildcat

Hi All,

I went to the greenhouse and counted the tips, there are 59.

Here are two pictures of her I just took. You can see that she is dormant. Please excuse the poor pictures. However, compared to the bottom picture taken in May 2005 when I plunged the pot, you can see that it is so much huger this year! With 59 tips going to flower, she will be incredible this year!!!

Wildcat
{{gwi:1157769}}
{{gwi:1157770}}
{{gwi:1157771}}

Wow.. I am thoroughly impressed....
Brittany

Thanks Brittany,

Since I have been growing this one from a seed for the last 10 years, I cannot bear to chop it up for cuttings.

That is why I have decided to sell her to find a good home for her.

Wildcat

I wouldn't be able to chop it up either if I'd been growing it for so long from seed... it's practically a member of the family at that point... let me know what you decide to do and what you decide to sell it for, if you decide to sell it... :)
Brittany

First of all, if it were me, I wouldn't chop it up just to sell it.

There has to be somebody in your area that appreciates a tree like yours.

The answer is to advertize, or truck it to a swap meet....in full bloom.

As to the value, of course, it depends. I have seen examples similiar to yours here in CA, but admittedly, usually with fewer branches. One price I remember because I almost bought it was $350, it was yellow. I think you could easily ask for more than that.

On thing you can do is to cut two of the large limbs about 4 inches above the split. Cut so water will not sit on it and put common spackle on the cut. Next growing season you will get from 3 to 7 new growths. The following year cut the other two arms. They will also regenerate. You can continue this every 3-5 years forever. Your trunk will be giant but the plant can be kept at a manageable size and will produce tons of cuttings. Bud Guillott's (Guillott's Sunset) back yard is filled with plants that are 6 foot tall but have trunks that are 6 inches in diameter. He keeps his flowers at eye level and his collection is to die for. Your plant looks like a seedling of Celadine which is the most common flower used in lei making in Hawaii. It has a magical smell.

lol... we were talking about this yesterday and decided it probably is a Celadine seedling... wow, we're awesome Wildcat :)
Brittany

As a price reference I bought a couple of 6/7 footers with 12-16 tips from http://www.exoticplumeria.com/ in Florida. They charge $400 for such a tree, and they have to de-foliate and bare-root the tree for shipping to California (ag laws).

That's definitely a beauty you have there. And in Chicago of all places!

Hi Pappy,

Thanks for the information, I appreciate that!

Since mine has 4 to 5 times that many flowering tips, it gives me an idea of her value!

Wildcat

Hello All,

My 8 foot plumeria tree above is now on ebay!

http://cgi.ebay.com/8-Foot-Plumeria-Tree-59-tips-10-years-old-Celadine_W0QQitemZ7762656075QQcategoryZ103447QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Wildcat

Here is a link that might be useful: My 8 foot plumeria tree on ebay!

I hope you find a happy home for your baby. It is a beautiful tree and shows your loving care. Out here in So.Cal that tree would be snatched up quickly. Hope someone in the Chicago area wants a true reminder of Hawaii with one of the most wonderful smells in the flower world. Good luck.

Hi tdogdad,

Thank you for your encouragement!

By the way, what does your handle represent?

Wildcat

My wife is a veteran on the butterfly forum as an avid butterfly raise and release person. Her handle is tdogmom after our dog Tifanny who is fighting cancer and who also has her own site with many dog friends. I was responding to someone on another forum who had a question about Monarchs and plumerias but I did not have a handle. I was using hers but realized that was not cool so I just modified hers to mine. When I happened onto this site, I figured that with years of collecting, growing and experimenting, and connections with some of the top collectors and professional growers, i could have some useful information. I am purely a collector and I want to create hybrids, My extra plants I plant in schools, in parks or in my friends yards. I guess I am a true plumiaholic (now at 99 varieties and about 400 plants and no room for more) Hope that answers your question.

Hi tdogdad,

I sure hope Tiffany goes into remission.

I think that it is great you will be sharing your experience with plants with everyone here. Thanks.

Also, I think it is also great that share your plants with schools and parks!

Wildcat

Oh Wildcat! Do tell what happened with the auction? I've been watching with baited breath....

I have a large Celadine (though not nearly as large as yours) that winters in the crawlspace under my house. There is plenty of room there and the temperature is warm enough to keep the plant from freezing. This keeps me from having to give up valuable space in my greenhouse or indoors. I simply unpot the plant in the fall and put the bare roots in a plastic bag and store the plant under the house. In the spring I repot and the tree resumes growing. This way you can grow a plumeria tree to quite a large size.
Marty

Hello Ineptgardener,

It sis not hit the reserve. More than likely, I will be relisting it soon...unless the person that has e-mailed with me a few times ends up buying it.

Wildcat