First plumeria - which of these would be best?

15 years ago

Hi all,

I am active on other forums here and was very happy to find this one, as I've decided to get my first plumeria ever. It will probably be my only one for several years as I only have a small balcony garden to put plants on. So, I was hoping to get some opinions in picking a real winner!

My south-central Texas balcony gets 8-12 hours of full sun (6-8 hours direct) on the longest days of the year. It is south facing. I have a pot that is about 18" wide and 14" tall to put it in (I could sink a smaller pot in it at first if that would be best).

I am hoping to get something with a fragrance as close to the flowers that were used in leis when I lived in Hawaii 2-3 years ago. I know this is not very descriptive at all, but I was not paying attention to plumeria varieties when I was there! I keep hearing Celadine is most used in Leis, but the pics on the web are highly variable. The ones I saw in leis the most were a creamy white with a little yellow in the center, but had a lot less yellow in them than some of the Celadine pics I am seeing on the web...

Anyway, something that would like my conditions, be easy to care for/resistant to pests and diseases, and have a lovely, strong fragrance would be ideal. Here are the contenders:

Celadine

Aztec Gold

Samoan Fluff

Kimo

Of course, I am open to other nominations as well. What do you all think?

Comments (7)

kbauman
15 years ago
Hi There,
Welcome to the Plumeria board. Some one will come in soon and give you some advise and opinions.

I have a question on you heat and light. You say you face the south lot of sun. Is that also west sun too? If so, west is hot, might need some shading.
Karen B
mrpearson253
15 years ago
I have a Pacific Pearl I got at Home Depot awhile back that's started being a rather prolific bloomer in the last couple seasons. It's a common yellow-and-white variety, but the blooms are pretty good sized and they have a relatively strong floral fragrance. Not as pungent as the Aztec Gold (ahhhhh peaches) but I think if you're looking for heartiness either might be good. Good luck and let us know what you choose!

Mark
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pharoah
15 years ago
Celadine hands down! In my opinion, it is still the very best plumie out there, and my personal favorite. It has the whole package, and you can pretty much count on blooms every year. It's also extremely hardy and has gorgeous glossy green leaves.

Mark has mentioned Pacific Pearl which is also a good variety and matches what you are looking for. You can find either practically anywhere during the summer months.

The others you mentioned are winners, but Aztec and Samoan can get rangy and lanky quite easily. Kimo is a nice plant, but while the fragrance is pleasant, it isn't very strong.

Hope that helps,
Tony
ploomer
15 years ago
I agree with Tony. Celidines are prolific bloomers and seem to be the first and last to bloom during the season. You can also smell the fragrance when you walk by the plant. Bob
tdogdad
15 years ago
Agree with Tony- Celadine is used in 90% of the leis and is the only one on your list that is that smell you are looking for. Aztec smells great but has a peachy smell and the plant can be very lanky and floppy (there is one that is upright but I got mine from the owner and that is the only one I have seen so many local growers have his cuttings) My Samoan is quite compact in a large pot but it has an ok smell but nothing great. I lost my Kimo this year and do not plan to replace it as it was not appealing to me. Other great smells include Jeannie Moragne (red rose), Kauka Wilder (hawaiian tropic suntan lotion), and Kimi Moragne (sweet spice). Bill
bramasole
Original Author
15 years ago
Hi everyone,
it looks like Celadine it is, then! I am so excited. I will be shopping for it this coming weekend.

Karen, my building is at a 45 degree angle facing south and west. It does get hot here, but unfortunately there is no way to shade anything as I can't install any structures outside like trellises or tarps. So, it has to be something that likes or tolerates strong sunshine and heat. There is often a good breeze here though, and sometime strong winds.

Do people think Celadine will do okay in these conditions?
tdogdad
15 years ago
The moist humid heat of Texas is just like home to Celadine which comes from the Carribean islands. Heat is not the problem- freezing cold is. Bill

First plumeria - which of these would be best?

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kbauman

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First plumeria - which of these would be best?

Comments (7)

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