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Is my first plumeria healthy? - Pics

15 years ago

Hi everyone,

thanks to the great advice of people here I went to the PSA sale in Houston and got my first plumeria, a Celadine. The sale was tons of fun!

But after I got home I realized in my excitement I didn't inspect the plant as closely as I should have, and I am not sure it's healthy. It has a couple things going on that I am not sure are normal or not.

Mainly, around the base of each tip, it looks like a surface layer of the stem has eroded or been chewed on. Around the leaves, there are some blackish dry things that look like could be the remains of old leaves, or leaves that did not grow...? It also has some bubbly things near the base and where it has three tips off one stem, there looks like there is a circular shape in between the tips. Are these things anything to worry about?

It also has a couple leaves where it has a single, small black spot. Should I spray these spots with a fungicide? I have Serenade and Daconil.

Thanks in advance for all your opinions - I sure do hope it's healthy enough to keep, because I already love it!

Here is what she looks like:

Details:

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Comments (3)

houstonpat
15 years ago
Yeah, the sale was tons of fun for me too. I fully intended to NOT buy anything, just wander around and talky-talk. But I couldn't help myself, and took home a Sariah's Curly Pink to add to my collection.
Your plant looks fine. Remember the folks in the PSA have bunches of plants and can't baby each one, so they get bumped around a little. Like a dummy last year I bought a cutting that was only this years growth (fresh tender green). It didn't make it. But my other purchase Gulf Stream is in bloom now.
brighty
15 years ago
Congratulations Bramasole,

The little black things by the leaves are old leaves that did not mature or fall off when the plant went into dormancy last winter. You can just flick them off. They are normal. The round spot between the three branches is where an inflo was. Usually, when you get an inflo (an inflo is the flower stem) the branch will divide into two or three more branches at that spot. The inflo later falls off and leaves that round mark. This is normal also.

There are some cosmetic marks on the stem, but they will probably be ok. A lot of mine have some cosmetic characteristics too.

The only thing that I would do differently if it was me is... your 8th picture indicates that you have planted your plumeria with the main branch going sideways. If your plant is not already rooted, I would cut off that very bottom stub with the black hole in it. Then let the cutting dry for two weeks and replant it straight up. Otherwise it will always grow sideways, and the black hole kind of concerns me.

There are many experts here. They can give you some excellent advise.

Brighty
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bramasole
Original Author
15 years ago
Hi everyone,

thanks so much for chiming in! I am so glad the verdict is positive so far.

Pat, your Gulf Stream is beeeautiful! I can only hope my baby will bloom like that for me one day =) I was very tempted to buy more too, thank goodness I couldn't find a gardenia and I only have a small space and a small car =)

Brighty, thanks so much too. It turns out that's exactly how it came from the sale (growing sideways), it's in the same pot it came in and everything, I just got it yesterday. So, it's a rooted plant, from 2006. I asked the seller about it growing like that and he said if I wanted it more upright I could tilt it when I repot it into its destination pot at my house. I thought about burying the black hole, because it's kind of unnatractive... But I don't know if that would potentially create problems? What do you think?

I would welcome opinions from others too. Thanks so much!

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