Hey, I'm trying! I got one in a trade last year, it's rooted well now and has a little rosette of leaves at the top of an 8" stick. I'm not sure what to expect from this plant, but I see it's in a 4" pot from this forum, way too small.
I live in Muncie, east central Indiana.
I also grow bamboo, bananas, palms, all kinds of tropicals. My passion....

Hi!

I live in suburban Chicago and have purchased two grafted plumeria plants from Florida Colors, named cultivars of Azetec Gold and Dwarf Deciduous (plumeria obtusa).

Previously, I was able to keep my other plumies outdoors in the summer, from late May to early September. For winter care, I brought the plumies indoors into a heated basement under shop lights that were on for 16 hours. I provided extra humidity for the surrounding plant area with a pan of water which could evaporate slowly. I also had a fan turned on low to keep air movement in the area of the plumies to decrease chance of insect pests.

Outside my care for plumies is the routine care in tropical climates, but once indoors, I watered very lightly in order to prevent root rot. Maintenance in winder indoors was just to keep them alive until spring, when they could be placed outdoors once again in the sun.

Hope this helps :-)

Harriet 5a
HsLdyAngl@aol.com

Here is a link that might be useful: Florida Colors

Hello,

Thank you both for your responses. I keep my plumeria out the same time as well, late May to late September/early october. I have one big plumeria, one 4 branch, and rooting two cuttings I got as a gift.

I also grow 5 big brugmansia, a couple hoya's, ponytail palms, and other assorted things.

Wildcat

Hi there,
I live in Lowell, Indiana which is in the upper N/W area. We are very close to the Illlinois border.

I just purchased my very first Plumeria seedlings. They are named "Sweet Peach". They are pretty small right now, but I'm told they grow pretty fast.

I have been growing exotic orchids and violets for years with great success, and thought I'd try something new. I only do it for a hobby so it isn't on too large of scale. I hope they like it here as well as my other plants do, and am looking forward to the challange of it.

I'll let you know how it goes..........
Nannyx2

hi!! i'm in Valparaiso and last year I got 2 plumerias. I am having problem with black tip. I am going to cut these tips off tomorrow morning like I was told in the forum to do. I hate to lose these. I used to live in California and had great luck with them until my ex left them out to freeze and I lost them. They are very beautiful flowers. I love the challenge of growing something different. I hope to get some more (my husband thinks i'm goofy) I also have banana trees. see ya!!

Hello NannyX2 and Maiseylou,

What do you know? I am in Valpo also!

E-mail and I'll give you my number and you can come by and see my plumeria tree and my big angel trumpets.

Wildcat

Hello all,

I live in Chicago and am a complete beginner with plumerias. I bought 2 packs of seeds while on vacation in Maui, planted them and got 7 out of 8 seedlings to grow. They are now about 1 year old, some are bigger than others, but seem to be doing pretty good. The biggest one is about 10 inches. We had a white fly infestation that reduced most to nothing but a stick, but they came flourishing back. I repotted them all into bigger pots, and since I am renting an apartment, I'm afraid I will have no room to store them after the summer.

So, I'm happy to hear there are more plummie lovers in the area, I may need some advice in the near future!

Take care!
jeanne

Hey Wildcat. Im in SE Mich. I got a 10" stick about 5 weeks ago. It's doing great I've got it on the deck in the sun all day and night. On some of the cooler nights I brought it in because I want to keep the root growth warm so they grow faster. I know have 2 large leaves (about 4" long) and 3 more starting. It's growing like a weed. I used regular
Miracle Grow potting soil and the old plummie is happy.

Hello Jeanne and SeaRay,

Glad to know there are more of us out here in this area.

Happy to hear that both of yours are doing so well.

Wildcat

hey I have one im in the city heres a pic of it. I get them from syds nursery they have exotic plants they have some 12 feet tall. Mines is about 4 feet plus. I keep mine in direct sun in summer and in a south window in the winter. I let the dirt dry up before I water it again. Its growing like crazy.

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Hello ImCuban2,

Looks great! I would think you would be getting buds on it soon. Is it outside for the Summer?

What type or color is yours?

Can you post the addres and phone number for Syd's for me?

Thanks!

Aince you and Jeanne are close to me, I am an hour from Chicago, you are both welcome to come and see mine...it is flowering now and has been for quite a while. Just send me an e-mail and I will give you directions and my number. Also, right now, I have a could very large Angel Trumpets (Brugmansia) with a couple hundred blooms on them as I write this.

Wildcat

ok i spelled it wrong, its sids and its 10926 soutwest highway palos hills IL 60465. there number is 1 800 947 7437. and they have a site I think at www.sidsgreenhouses.com. I have no idea for sure what color but I was told its a blood red type color. I have no idea what the flower will look like. And yes I keep in in sun outside all summer. Then inside for the winter.

Hi,
I live in Chicago,in the northeasternmost neighborhood;Rogers Park. I have been growing plumerias for almost 10 years now(wow,has it been that long!!). I have four at the moment,two unamed yellows,a Miami Rose that I got last year,and a Key West Red that I've had for two years now. I've had the yellows for a long time,I got them at the flower and garden show at Navy Pier back in the mid-nineties sometime. So far,they are the only ones that have ever bloomed. Only one of the yellow ones is blooming this year,as of now(Sept 14)there are only buds on it. The leaves on all of them grow beautifly,but they are hard to get to bloom for me. I keep them outside in the summer and in my sunroom for the winter. This year I planted the Miami Rose in the ground and one of the yellows,I plunged it's pot in the ground. I put out a bunch of tropicals this year,so my yard looks like Miami or Hawaii,even with the drought this year,and the plumerias are among the plants out there. I love tropicals in general,and orchids,but my success with orchids is iffy. I replanted a really large Cattelya,but it seems to be just drying up-I don't think it's going to make it.
I also got my mother interested in Plumerias. She lives in Burnham,by Hammond and Calumet City. Maybe it was the plumeria perfume I got her from Hawaii(thats another plumeria story),so I got her two for mothers day-a Singapore(white) and one called Cool-aid,which is pink and is supposed to smell like cherry Kool-aid. I got that one because she was the quintessential 'Kool-aid mom',with all of the neighborhood kids hanging out at my house,so I thought that would be very symbolic,as well as interesing.
Anyway its good to hear of others in Illinois and NW Indiana who are growing plumerias and other tropicals.
Brian

Yep... 8 years here in Dearborn Heights Michigan. 6 foot (almost perfect trees). I just brought my 4 trees in on Oct 6th for the winter.

Hello BluLagoon,

Sounds like you have some very nice plants! I had to give up on my orchids when I moved to Indiana, I think it is too dry up here for them.

Hello TommyC,

I am hoping to leave mine out here in NW Indiana for another 2 weeks. Don't really know what to do with my big plant. Too big.

Wildcat

I acquired a Plumeria stalk (2 ft. long) from a farmers market in Kona-Kailua on the Big Island of Hawaii last June and stuck it in a 12" pot with Miracle Grow potting soil and it started sprouting leaves within a month after sitting in my sun-room with the 30+ Calocasia (Elephant Ear) plants I have propagated in the last 10 years. It sprouted 5 leaves and then, in late September, they dried up and dropped off. After that, I brought it into my home computer room (the warmest place in the house) and it started sprouting again, now has 6 leaves. From reading about others in this forum, I think I understand about the plant needing a warm soil condition without too much water. Are the leaves going to fall off again with the sunlight time diminishing for the winter? I understand that the plant may go dormant until spring, but, just wanted to know what to expect, since this is my first Plumeria attempt.

Hello Stevo,

Sometimes you can keep your leaves all Winter, sometimes they may fall off in late Winter. I have never figured it all out. Just keep doing what you are doing, sounds like you are doing a good job.

Wildcat

i live in central illinois. i thought i was the only one in this cold area crazy enough to try growing plumies!!!
Has anyone had much luck with flowering/info's? I have had my plumie over a year, maybe two years? and no luck with flowers.
Someone in Florida told me that my pot is too big to get flowers.... ??? I'm not going to move her, just let her roots keep growing so she will eventually grow flowers!

Hi Taranh,

No, you are not the only crazy in this area! LOL!

Personnally, I think the bigger the pot, the better the plumeria. And it seems to work for me. I think pots too small would be detrimental to plumeria's and they are trees.

How big is your plant and how big is your pot?

My 2-3 foot plumeria's are in 18" pots, my 8 foot plumeria is in a 24" diameter pot.

Yes, as you can see, I do get mine to flower. Pictures from this Fall.

Wildcat
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Wildcat, you gave me hope with those pictures! I bought a Jiffy-Gro Heat Mat at Sid's and placed it under the pot tray to keep the roots warm this winter. I haven't seen any response yet, seems not enough sunlight these days. The heat mat is supposed to stay between 65 and 75 degrees. We'll see if that does the trick through the winter.

Thanks... Stevo

Slleo Stevo,

That heat mat should help you out.

Yes, sunlight seems very rare when one lives by the Great Lakes during the Winter. Seems overcast around here a lot recently, much too gray outside.

Wildcat

I am new at growing plumeria also, I just bought 2 cuttings and they have been in potting soil for about a month and I can just start to see leaves coming. Can not wait to put them outside in the sun. I live in upper Michigan. I noticed this week I have black flies in the soil. Does anyone know what this is from? Maybe the potting soil? none of my other plants have it though? I sure hope I get some flowers this summer. After reading though, I won't be surprised if I don't.

Korry

Hi Korry,

Congratulations on starting to become addicted to plumerias...LOL!

More than likely, they are fungus gnats. Are they pretty little and buzz around the soil? Usually, it means the soil is a litle too moist. Let it dry out almost completely before watering. You can buy some sticky paper squares that they will stick to or some pesticide granuals you can spread on the top of the soil.

Plumerias need to stay on the dry side until they are fully leafing out and in the hot sun all day.

If I were you, I would not water them until they are dry...as the thick stem carries plenty of moisture for new leaves and/or until you get them outside for the Summer in full sun. You do not want to root rot them. If you soil is quite wet/damp, you can place the pot right by a heating vent to help dry out the soil.

You should be ok.

Wildcat

Hey, Wildcat,

My plumeria made it through the winter with a warming mat and no leaves, now it is trying to pop out leaves from all the 4 possible arms at once (only 1 inch long leaves right now). Once it gets warm in the sunroom I'll move it down there for the summer to see how it goes. All the leaves dropped in December, so, I was pretty happy to see the new leaves come out last week. Thanks for your help.

Hey Stevoswego,

Great! I am glad it made it through the Winter for you. It is always good to see new leaves growing as that geneally means that all is well.

Here in NW Indiana, when it is past frost, I place mine out in full sun. When well rooted, they also like to be fertilized often.

Do you know what color it is supposed to be?

Wildcat

Yes, the color is yellow, purple-red, and white. I didn't take a picture of it when it had blooms, but, that's what I remember from last year.

Are we past the frost date yet? We got a freeze warning for tonight here in the Fox Valley.

Bye...

I think in Z5 here, we can get frost right up until Memorial Day. But it does usually happen. Although 3 years ago or maybe 4, we got frost on May 20/21.

If you plant isn't too big, a patio would be fine and bring it in for any frost warnings.

Wildcat

Hi everyone! I just found this post. It's nice to know I have plumie addicts around me. I am in lower SW Michigan. I am sure hoping you can help me if I run into any trouble.I have 7 cuttings I just rooted in water and planted a couple days ago. They are in a south window in the basement. Right now I am using an ott-lite but my friend is selling me a sodium light unit. I hope this works.

Valerie

I live in Holland, Michigan. I keep mine outdoors all summer. I have 3 in one big pot that are about 5 feet tall. They flower off and on over the last 9 years i have had them.

It is nice to hear from other plumeria growers in my area.

Wildcat