THE COASTAL GARDENER:Plumeria is a favorite among gardeners

Curtis Hayes knows plumeria. He grows about 500 plants in his Orange County garden.

It’s hard to imagine that as recently as 20 years ago plumeria was quite rare in Orange County. Even 10 years ago, just before Curtis, George Crouchet, Bud Guillot and others formed the South Coast Plumeria Society, they were still primarily “pass-along” plants. Plumeria spread throughout Southern California from the hands of one gardener to another; a method I still enjoy greatly.

Today, plumeria is grown successfully in tens of thousands of local gardens. In almost every neighborhood in the county, plumeria can be seen popping up over fences or growing in large containers on a patio.

In fact, last week, during home garden inspections of the top entries in the California Friendly Garden Contest, our judging group discovered plumeria growing in the majority of gardens, from Huntington Beach to Fullerton to San Clemente.

Today, Curtis is certainly not alone in his plumeria passion. The South Coast Plumeria Society (https://home.earthlink.net /{tilde}gcrouchet) boasts more than 300 active members, plus many others who come to the free meetings but haven’t yet joined. Held in Huntington Beach, the meetings are brimming with excitement, discussions about new varieties, cultural details and enthusiastic The popularity of plumeria is understandable. Tropical and exotic, the flowers appear to many beginners as rare tropical jewels. Like any mysterious exotic thing, they should be rare, difficult to sustain and require specialized attention.

But not so in Orange County. In fact, plumeria is among the easiest and most rewarding of all our garden plants.

What other plant offers as much: rich scents, months of flowers, roots that won’t buckle sidewalks, no thorns and almost no pests.

As if you need more convincing, to make another plant you literally break off a branch, toss it on the ground for a week and then stick it in the soil.

I’m certain the surge in plumeria popularity is above all owed to its carefree and forgiving qualities. You can neglect it, forget to water it for weeks, even ignore it and it will still reward you with beautiful, fragrant flowers.

Several years ago Curtis began caring for a nearly 30-foot plant several miles from his house. One of the largest plumeria plants in the continental United States, he is now its surrogate parent.

I’ve known Curtis for about six years now and at his plumeria seminars he still begins with the three things plumeria needs: good drainage, water in the summer and dryness in the winter.

When caring for plumeria, Curtis recommends growing it in cactus mix or a commercial potting soil blended with plenty of pumice to improve the aeration and drainage of the soil.

Fertilizing should be regular from spring, when the plant begins to wake up from its winter sleep, until mid-fall, before it begins its sleep once again.

Full sun or very light shade is best and plumeria should be watered sparingly, if at all, during its winter sleep.

To learn more about plumeria in Orange County be sure to visit Curtis, George, Bud and other members of the South Coast Plumeria Society at the Orange County Fair.

They will be on hand throughout the fair, in the garden area, to answer your questions and show off their plants, but mostly just to share their excitement for one of Orange County’s new favorite garden plants.

ASK RON

Question:

I have an old, 6-foot skinny ficus planted in a whiskey barrel. New leaves are at the ends of long, thin branches. Can I trim branches down a bit so new leaves will appear? (I will not hold you responsible if things don’t work!)

Shirley

Answer:

I love the “not responsible” part. I wish I could make that a permanent disclaimer. Seriously, yes, you can trim your ficus just about any time of the year. Be aware that ficus become root-bound very quickly in containers. Because of this, they are frequently starved for fertilizer, sparse and pale. Remember, trimming the top does not affect the root system. When you do trim it, be sure to give it a good dose of fertilizer to help it push out new foliage. However, if the tree is overgrown in the pot, it is best to start over with a new tree in the barrel.

your toughest gardening questions, and the expert nursery staff at Roger’s Gardens will come up with an answer. please include your name, phone number and city, and limit queries to 30 words or fewer. e-mail stumpthegardener @rogersgardens.com, or write to plant talk at Roger’s Gardens, 2301 San Joaquin Hills Road, Corona del Mar, CA 92625.