Hi Everyone!
I'm new to this group and to plumarias for that matter. I was given a plumaria as a gift and has now become an obsession to learn more about them, and (to my wife's dismay) collect as many different species as possible! I'm getting ready to redo my flower bed / garden and wondered if anyone had any thoughts about how to blend plumarias into the rest of the garden. My wife is really hesitant because they "turn into sticks" during the winter months. Although here in southern California, we don't worry too much about temps dropping into the 40's for too long and am hoping to keep them in the garden all winter. I'm sure it's personal preference, but any ideas / photos would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you,
Mike

P.S. My wife actually doesn't mind my new found obsession. She says there are worse things I could be interested in!

SoCalDawg. Mine are displayed in my garden but they are in pots. My biggest in pot is 9 feet to almost 10 feet tall. I am planning to plant some in the ground.

There are other plummie lovers here from your area that can give better advice.

Thank you Gigi...I'm looking forward to reading the responses and seeing what others have to offer!

Welcome SoCalDawg!!

What I've found down here where it is never cold, is that some types of plumeria lose their leaves no matter what. Others hold them but don't grow new leaves and yet others will bloom a little all winter. So, you could still end up with sticks for a month or two, but the "stick season" is much shorter where it is warm. I think the key to using them in the landscape is to have other shorter plants in front of them so they blend in during the winter. Once they leaf out in the spring they will rise above their surroundings and become the star.

with Jonna. Also you can make features out of the sticks by hanging orchid baskets etc. from the branches.

Jonna,
That's brilliant! Not sure why I didn't think of it, but at least one of us did! And thanks for passing it along!
Now, for some short, evergreen, tropical plants...time for a Google search.


Thanks again ladies!

I use Crown of Thorns a lot which also tend to bloom in winter. Bromeliads are a good choice too. And there are some miniature Crotons ('Batik' is one that I like a lot). Underplanting plumeria is something that I have done for a while since my yard is 90% plumeria...

Bromeliads are so versatile, particular when you are not worried about freezes or heavy frosts (many varieties will easily take a light frost). They present an "exotic" shape and have numerous flower forms, can be mounted and hung from many things (including large plumeria), and can be potted and brought inside when in flower. Bromeliads can grow in almost any well-draining soil, though do best when there is a good, rich organic base and when grow outside, they probably won't even need fertilizer. They typically are shade-loving plants though. A couple of hours of early morning or late afternoon sun is perfect for maximum growth and flowering. I don't let mine get any sun between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM.

An exception to the fact that many Bromeliads like shade is the spectacular Aechmea blanchetiana which is used a lot in my area. It gets its best color in full sun.

Nice looking bromeliad, Hetty. Since our temperate climate gets so cold, the bromeliads have to be brought inside during the winter months. You don't see bromeliads in the landscape here, other than mounted or in pots.