There are vendors that sell plumeria cuttings all over hawaii......as long as the cutting is atleast 8" long it should grow great. They look like gray-green sticks sometimes but just dip in a rooting hormone and pot them about 4" deep, water well and place in hot sun on a sidewalk to get bottom heat. It takes awhile to root but when it does it starts growing nicely. Only water when soil gets dry or you may rot the stalk. Hope this helps. I brought back about 8 different cuttings this May and they are about a foot tall now and have lots of leaves.
Happy growing/ Glenda

As Glenda says, there are vendors everywhere; plumeria cuttings in Hawaii are as easy to find as slot machines in Vegas...LOL. They're even sold pre-packaged at the airport gift-shop.....but those are the same "un-named" plumerias you can get here at any Home Depot....hit a nursery there in Hawaii!!!

scaldude, do you happen to know of any locations of these nurseries? i'll be vacationing in hawaii next month, so it would be great to know where to find other plumerias besides ABC stores and airports. :)

Yeah -- in Hawaii, Walmart and Kmart sells plumeria cuttings too. So does the ABC stores. However, if you want something special, you'll have to go to the nursuries. Ask the locals, I would say. The travel books usually list Plumeria gardens or Botanical Gardens as well. Good luck!

If you're staying at a hotel, the front desk clerk will know, or get the info for you.....better yet, tip a Concierge well, and they make magic happen!!!

Have fun in Hawaii

Jim Little is renown in the plumeria world for his cuttings and plants. His nursery has exceptional plumeria cuttings. His daugh-in-law Sandy sells his plumeria on ebay under id-hawaiisandy. Not sure if his nursery is open to the public, but you can shoot Sandy an email thru Ebay and ask.

"not open to the public"....nod, nod, wink, wink,....like I said about the Concierge....they have contacts ;-)~

Wow! Thanks so much for the responses! Great idea luvflowers101, I was wondering how to heat from the bottom, cement would be perfect. Another question, do the vendors or stores describe the plants, or is it just generally info (meaning color of bloom, fragrance, size of plant, tolerance to cold). And if he were to visit a nursery or get info from the concierge, would that be pricey or quite reasonable being in Hawaii? And one more question. Considering I'm a first time grower, should I invest in a few of them for starters just in case one doesn't take? Or are they quite easy to grow, that one should suffice (nevermind the fact that I might become an addict, and will be kicking myself for not having bought a bunch :) And lastly, can I assume that I have a reasonable amount of time to get it rooted here in Maryland (6b) before it goes dormant for the winter? Thanks so much, again!!! Christy :)

Christy,
Were do you live? Climate makes a difference.
I really don't think you can get in to see Jim Littles nursery. He's stopped letting people in for some time now. You can buy his cuttings for around $14.- depending on what type at Dole Pinapple Factory on Oahu. They have a web site so you can see what they have. They may not always have everything in stock but if you give then a few days notice it may help. Which island are you going to?
Mickey

I'm in zone 6b/7 Maryland, and I forgot to add that he (my DH) is flying into Honolulu on Oahu. Also, he only follows instructions, so any guidelines you can give me on what he should look for in buying a nice healthy cutting can be relayed :) Thanks :) Christy

You are pretty late in the season to start in Md. Karyn- how late can you start there without a greenhouse? I would guess it is too late. You could order a rooted plant for about $40 plus shipping from mauiplumeriagardens.com and have a year old plant in one week that is a "named" variety. They also sell starter kits for $40 with four cuttings which is $10@ for named varieties. I would recommend looking at the rooted plants because the difficult work is done for you (how much is two months work worth?) Next year you can get some cuttings in March and try your hand at rooting. Next year, your rooted plant will probably flower while the others are trying to root. You can learn how to overwinter your plant from people like Karyn or Dave who are not far. Bill

I'd hate to see your "darling husband" (DH = texting acronym) miss an opportunity to score an authentic Hawaiian plumeria while there....the pre packaged cuttings are normally un-named without characterization other than color, but still gives you bragging rights that it's from Hawaii!

If he goes to a nursery, they can help him choose a good plumie, and how to package a rooted one if that's the way you decide to go.

Aloha!

Okay, rooted cutting it is!! Like tdogdad said, how much is 2 months worth? A lot, to me :) I'll have him "ask" the concierge for me, and get a direction. What would you look for in a rooted stem? Smooth green skin, or wrinkled brown, a specific height, what should I guide him in looking at? Would I be correct in assuming that it would rooted in dirt with a pot, or would it be bare-root? Sorry for all of the questions, and thanks so much for any help - he leaves on Sunday :) Christy

Any good quality place is going to sell a healthy plant rooted in non-organic material for shipping. You want to pick the flower you want. Click on the link below and shop. Personally I think your husband could shop all day and maybe not find the quality plants on this link. Then he would probably only save the shipping cost and you have to carry on to keep it warm (some suitcases are in too cold a space and damage the plant.) I have ordered many plants from Maui and all come quickly and ready to go. No muss no fuss. This is a very reliable company and they often slip in an extra cutting for free. Every plant I have bought from them is big, fat and healthy after years. Order this weekend and your plant should arrive before friday. This is the easy way. Bill

Here is a link that might be useful: MauiP.G. rooted plants

Christy,

If your husband hasn't left yet, you can select a registered plumeria you like from Dole's online store I linked below....print the page, number them per your preference, and DH can take that to a nursery, see what's in stock, and just point...

Yeah, they'll probably be potted, but can be brought back as bare-rooted for the airplane trip back; the nursery can help with that.

I think Jim Little is located on Oahu's north shore, if DH's time permits... ;-)~

Here is a link that might be useful: Dole On-line Store

It's cutting it pretty close if you start a stick now. We should have warm daytime temps through Sept but the nighttime temps will start dropping earlier. June & July are the best months to start cuttings outdoors here. I'm in Mont Co, which is zone 7a. I'd definitely go with a rooted plant, especially if it's your first one. Enjoy your trip and new plant. I'm sure it won't be your only plumie for long. lol
Karyn

....just wondering, how long can a cutting be stored before it has to be planted. Those pre-packaged one's, in the gift shops, sit on those shelves awhile???

three months is usually not a big problem. Six months and they might be a bit wrinkled. I prefer to buy or cut in February so cuttings are less than a month or cut a month before your season starts. Just my opinion. Bill

Just your opinion? OMG, I've seen your Trader Joe bottle collection (army) of plumeria cuttings...LOL

Thanks.

Okay, he left this morning with a 'Top 10' list and directions to Dole. I'll let you know what he comes home with!! Thanks for the help :) Christy

I can't wait to hear what he comes home with. You'll have the rest of Aug and probably the first week or two of Sept where the nights will be warm here. Once the evening temps dip into the mid 60's I'd take any cuttings inside and keep them on seed mats. I just leave them inside. I can't stand the hassle of taking them out during the day and back in at night.
Karyn

Okay, he just called and has a problem. He has been to three nurseries, and just called Dole. They told him he cannot take a rooted cutting off of the island, and really don't have any to sell to him. So, I'm back to a cutting. Karyn, can it still be rooted before it is too late? Anyone else? Thanks :) Christy

I'm afraid that's most likely a Dept of Ag. law....it probably has to be inspected (or quarantined) to make sure it is free of pests before leaving the island...

Go ahead, try a cutting...as a backup, you could try tdogdad's mail order link to Maui Plumeria Gardens, as he said, they have quality rooted plumerias....and sometimes throw-in a freebie!!!

The bigger the hassle, the bigger the reward!!!

Good luck.

Christy go ahead and have him buy some cuttings. You should also invest in a seed mat for when the temps drop. Keep them outside until our evening temps drop to the mid 60's. At that point I'd bring them in and put them on the seed mat 24/7. I've rooted plenty of cuttings inside with no problem. I just hate having the plants inside because my toddler likes to get into them. If you have a glass table outside that's a great place to root cuttings. It keeps the rain off but still allows the sun in. You can get a seed mat at most hydroponics stores or online. I haven't seen them in any of the local garden centers. Where in MD are you located?
Karyn

Thanks Karyn, I'm in Laurel. He found 2 NOID's that he liked and bought, and I urged him to look for a named one today :) I can keep it indoors for the winter, but I don't get much light that time of the year. Does it need a lot of light while it is rooting? My challenge will also be keeping a toddler out of my plants :) Christy

Christy you are not too far from me. I'm in the eastern part of Montgomery County, Cloverly. How exciting, another plumie addict that lives near me. lol It seems like everyone here lives in So CA or FL. There's a hydroponics store in Laurel that sells seed mats. I think it's called Maryland Hydroponics. The address is 10051 N Second Street Laurel MD 20723. They also carry a variety of high quality fertilizers and other supplies. Their prices are a bit high but you can't find what they carry anywhere else nearby.
Karyn

LOL, I went there yesturday and bought a seed mat :) I'm not quite an addict yet, let's see how these cuttings do!! You're right down the road from Gardengrandma, on the Mid-Atlantic forum. I went to my first Swap this year, and am intending on going to the fall one. I'll get these cuttings on Saturday!! Christy :)

That's me. I'm terrible with names but good with faces. I like that little hydro store. I'm such a geek and spent an hour looking through all their fertilizers and stuff. It doesn't take much to entertain me. lol I'm hoping to be able to go to the fall swap but am not sure if I can make it yet. I still have loads of plants that I'd like to get rid of, especially now that we are going into the fall. Less for me to have to over winter.
Karyn

Karyn,

My friend just brought back a generic dbl tip "pink" and a single "red" cuttings from a Hawaii Walmart for $2.00 EACH!!! They are already stamped w/Agriculture inspection so she had no hassles at the airport. If your hubby is still in HI, have him stop by Walmart. At those prices you can afford to experiment with the late grow time.

I experimented rooted a cutting indoors, with the help of a heating pad. I didn't have a plant heating mat at the time. I just made sure the temp didn't get any hotter than my patio cement would on a sunny day, and set the pot on top.

I'm a one month newbie myself. I've absorbed tons of info from other members' posts here and at another plumie forum I was referred. Bill (tdogdad) always seemed to have great advice. Do check out the MPG site he recommended. They also offer a FREE forum for plumie people (or you can pay $20 for special membership rights.) Just click on the grey colored "Forums" link . Often members post fun guessing games with prizes being seeds/cuttings from their plumie.

Good Luck,
Kat (kvflyr)

Karyn, I don't know how you can have loads of plants to get rid of!! The plants that I picked up from the Spring Swap are barely hanging on, due to this drought. I don't have anything to bring to the Swap, I'll try to scrounge some things up, but so far nothing!! Christy :)

Christy $800 water bills this summer! lol
Karyn

Okay this is what he came back with :) They're about 6 or seven inches long, I'm guessing. I'm gonna pot them up today, I read the Plumeria 101 site. I hope they make it!! Christy

Scratch that, they're all between 8 and 9 inches :) Christy

Left looks like a Celadine and right a Samoaan Fluff. It will take 6-8 weeks to root so do not water during that time after your one initial watering. Mist the tops but keep bottom heat on them and they might leaf out in 5. Good luck. Bill ps. ignore 101s recommendation for pea gravel. Burns stalks. Use styrofoam (do a search in the search column)

They look like the ones at Wal-mart in Honolulu. Are they from there? I purchased one there last year. Unfortunately it rotted because I was clueless and watered it every day! I didn't know about this forum nor did any research! By the way the price is great!

These will be good starters but if you have a chance to go to Hawaii yourself, you should get some of the named ones. Also, don't trust the pictures on the package. The blooms are not going to be like that -- the colors will be correct and that's about it. Enjoy!

Hi, everyone, I'm new here and I'm just loving reading all the information on plumeria. I have adopted 22 of them this summer! I have won several of hawaiisandy's plumeria, and I have to say that the cuttings are awesome! They've all been very healthy, and usually don't take long to root and start growing. Sandy is the only vendor for plumeria on ebay that I'll pay high prices for the cuttings. Some of their new introductions, (just cuttings, mind you), go for over $200.00! I won't go that high, but I sure will wait a year or 2 to try to get a few of them. I'm from Ohio, by the way, and boy is my husband crowing about when it's time to bring all the plumies in! lol Rene'

He got them in the lobby :) I have a feeling that brand was a pretty common site in Hawaii. But, I imagine they'll still be pretty!! Thanks nixonk, my intention was to get a named one, but DH was busy and frustrated, so no 'named' plumeria. It's actually okay, I figure if I get these to root, and I want more, I'll just order one on Ebay! Good point about the picture on the package, I'll bet one of those three pics are on EVERY plumeria they sell!!! Christy :)

Are there any Oahu addicts? Where do you get named varieties? If Jim Little's nursery isn't open to visitors anymore, is there another reputable nursery to buy plumerias? The only place I've bought plumerias is from the guy at the stadium swap meet. Reading on the forum it sounds like there are a lot of internet sellers but I feel silly paying for the shipping if there is a good local source.