Tropicals & Tender Perennials: Newbie here. Best variety for size, scent, and hardiness?, 1 by Clare_CA

Clare_CA wrote:
Hi Joe,

Plumerias are definitely not hazardous to animals. I have lots of them and dogs, cats, possums, and all kinds of creatures in my garden. The latex sap will sting if it gets into your eyes and shouldn't be consumed however, but animals don't usually eat the leaves or branches.

I agree with going with a dwarf if you wish. Different plumerias have different growth rates. If you check Florida Colors Variety List, you will see that they list the different growth rates so if you are going to grow a plumeria in a pot for its life, you would want a slow-growing one, a dwarf, or a compact one. Many growers just grow plumerias in pots, but the pot-size does eventually get large unless you go with a dwarf. Some growers do get to a stage, after a number of years, where they root prune and trim every year and repot in the same large pot using fresh soil.

Just to add my .02, the dwarf watermelon isn't actually a dwarf as its growth habit exceeds what would normally be considered a dwarf. I don't know why it was named that, but it could be from the small flowers. Even Dwarf Richard Criley Rainbow gets tall and lanky from what I understand. I don't think Duvachelle is a dwarf either. Some of those are hard to get in any case. The most common dwarves are these:

Dwarf Singapore Pink -- sweet but mild fragrance

Dwarf Singapore White -- strong fragrance that smells like Epiphyllum oxypetalum to me

Dwarf Deciduous -- larger white flowers, awesome fragrance

Some others might be considered compact. Dwarves are a hot topic right now as many hybridizers are producing amazing flowers on dwarf or compact plants. I do believe that dwarves will be in demand for a long time to come. My best friend who lives in Thailand is producing some wonderful dwarves at this time. I'll post his web site on another thread.

Dwarf Singapore White pic attached. This has come to be one of my favorites.

Edited to remove Mel Pa Bowman (not a dwarf)

This message was edited Apr 16, 2008 9:33 AM