I’ve been very fortunate to have so many great friends that have shared their many plants over the years.

My friend Cheryl in Houston gave me my first plumeria. You may also know them as frangipani.  Leis are made from the blossoms.  It’s a tropical plant and can’t tolerate cold weather. Cheryl gave me a small branch in a pot of soil and told me how to care for it.  After it outgrew a series of ever larger pots, I planted it along the seawall where the warmth of the water in the canal and the many huge trees have protected it from any frosty temps.

Here’s one of this year’s blossoms.

It’s a tree now.

As it reaches towards the sun, by autumn it is almost dipping into the canal.  That’s when I trim it. I stick some  of the cuttings in pots and others directly into the ground.  Eventually someone will stop by and take the future plants home with them.

My friend Terry lives in North Myrtle Beach in South Carolina.  She took several cuttings last December and kept them sheltered during the winter.

Terry’s plumerias at the end of May

Terry sent me this photo this week. Already looks like they are ready to bloom.

My neighbor Mary Jane gave me this yellow plumeria last Fall.  Its trunk isn’t strong enough to support it so I’ve attached it to the trellis.  Hopefully it will get big enough to get cuttings this year.

I have one other color that’s blooming right now.  Another friend in Texas gave me the first cutting of this color.  I planted it in front of the house when it got too large for pots but it was killed by a frost one bad winter.  I fortunately had given some cuttings to friends and this one made it back to me!

Cheryl who started me on this plumeria kick, visited a few years ago.  She had moved to a different house in Texas and had not taken any of her plumeria plants with her.  So I was able to give her a few of mine.  Full-Circle of sharing!

If you ever have a chance to get a plumeria, take it!  They are easy to grow.  Just keep them protected from the cold and they’ll reward you with beautiful blooms and sweet aromas.