I'm new to this...my pleria was given to me as a gift last year. It has never flower but I und we rstand it may take a while. It had beautiful leaves and a beautiful stalk....now it looks like this.....have I killed it?

I've never seen that before...... could it be scale?

That's what I was thinking.....if it is, and it is obviously covering the entire stalk, is it salvageable?

I have no experience with this. I would get a product to combat scale and see what happens.

I had an infestation on an ornamental tree year before last for the last time. I wore gloves and rubbed and scraped most of them off. I tried alcohol on cotton swabs too. I finally cut the outer branches off since I was taking it in for winter soon. I think the thing that finally killed the scale and kept them from returning again was coffee grounds! This particular plant was in a huge pot, and I tossed old grounds (still in the filter) onto the base of the plant. In spring, the branches re-grew and it was beautiful. I never throw used grounds away anymore.

Here's a link to a flyer that might be of some help.

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu...

Looks a lot like the scale on a lemon tree-let given to me. I spent a day scraping and scrubbing it off, and pulling off leaves. The tree is now fine, and loaded with lemons, I'm glad I took the time with it.
Wonder if you could use the edge of a stiff library card or credit card and scrape the scale off? It's time consuming, but can be done, you just have to watch for it's re-appearance, and get that, too. Failing that, maybe you could clean the area around a bud, thoroughly, and bud-graft the plumeria to another one?

I think I have that on my lime tree. If you scrape or wash them off, don't they end up in the soil and come back? I need to do something soon as this tree was a gift and is a really good key lime.

I remember I also used Neem oil, sprayed the leaves and branches. My understanding is that they're in the soil and migrate up the stems. I used to have them on a large Arelia that was growing under a tree. They never bothered any other plant, so I didn't do anything and the first freeze usually did them in. I didn't notice any this fall, but I really spread the coffee grounds too. (Now watch, I'll go outside and find them crawling on everything!).

thanks everyone for the input....I'm going to try the coffee grounds and of course scraping.....I just was thinking (because of Bubbles comment), I repotted my plumeria last year whenever it was outgrowing it's pot. The leaves fell off almost immediately within just a couple of days. I assumed I shocked it. I remembered I used Miracle Grow potting soil and I put it in a ceramic pot.
So, if scales are fall into the soil what is the best soil to use when trying to save what is left?

I don't know where scale originate, honestly. My (lemon) treelet arrived with it, but it was a gift, and I was hardly going to complain about it, because of that. Yes I scraped the scale off my lemons stems and leaf when it had only 4 branches, and into the dirt around it, though I did throw away the leaves I pulled off the tree that had too many scale on it to get off. Maybe I was lucky, or maybe they're lurking around my lemon, just waiting to visit it again?
I have heard that oil sprays suffocate scale, but I've also killed house plants (gardenia) trying to destroy mealy-bug infestations with fruit-tree dormant oil spray, I'm not sure if that works well on all plants, my gardenias definitely didn't appreciated it:(
Never tried Neem oil or insecticide; but have heard good things about it, and I prefer natural insecticides, so should this problem ever arise again for me, I'll consider it, and definitely the coffee grounds, -maybe the easiest thing of all.
(I have a mental image of giving the plumies coffee and them suddenly "taking off" with several feet of caffeinated growth..eek!)
Thanks for all the suggestions, will file them away, and I hope one or a combination of several wil save your plumeria, Vanan.

Well, I removed all the scale, and found the prettiest green stalk top and bottom....however, big black fungus right in the middle....I've given up. I do appreciate everyone's input!!

I am happy to say that my other plumeria just opened it's first bloom on Saturday. I am so excited, it has about 10 more buds preparing to open I can't wait..... I'll send a photo in the next couple of days.

I would get some rubbing alcohol, (or maybe vinegar-isn't vinegar what kills mold on shower curtains?) and the sharpest shears I could find , or a box-cutter with spare blades, and cut 4 inches above and below the moldy section, and I'd throw that part away. Then I'd disinfect my shears, (or change my box-cutter blades with each cut I made) and cut both the rooted stem and the moldy top back to healthy wood, apply fungicide to both, and let them callus over, I'd try to root the top cutting later. The rooted stem should put out new growth if left alone.
This is what I'd do after checking with the experts on this site, first, since I'm a relative plumeria novice.
No need to give up on, or waste the moldy plant, but I would isolate it from any other plumeria you may have, as mold and fungus can spread.
I wish you luck, and am looking forward to pics of your other cutting's blooms

Cyra gives excellent advice!
You could also graft the top part, or have it custom-grafted for a small fee.

That's a really good idea-didn't think of that. Grafting the top of the cutting would probably increase it's chances of survival, and you wouldn't need a large piece of the cutting, either. From what Hetty mentioned in another post, a lady at Florida Colors has a real talent for grafting. Haven't tried grafting plumeria myself, yet, I want a little more experience with growing them first...and I need a larger pool of plumeria I could spare as "volunteers ". I can't experiment with the plumeria I have now -I like them, all!

with Hetty, Cyra, you sound like an expert. Thanks everyone, I'm learning something. Now, I'm worried about one 2-tip cutting I got from my co-worker last week, it looks like it has scales. I thought it was just pitiful because he cut it winter time.

Far from expert, (believe me!), just in love with these beautiful plants, and determined to surround myself with a few...if I can. They're ideal for me, cause they thrive on neglect. During 3 mos. each summer I work 7 days per week, with no time to care for plants, but I think plumeria will be more forgiving than other house plants, should I forget to water them, occasionally.