Looks kind of like Purple Jack. I can't believe you bought from Cuckooznest, he got so much flack for being fraudulent back in the day mid 2000's. I just looked and hes still on Ebay using Photoshopped pics and other peoples pics like Mukuden. I guess it had been sooo long that his neg feed back has deleted. Hope someone can confirm for sure what plumie u have. Good luck MJ

Here is a link that might be useful: Cuckooznest Store.

Well, what can I say James? I was young(er) dumb and full of flum, and that purchase was actually one of my first online forays. I don't recall negative ratings and as you say, his were probably brushed clean of negatives by that time. It was strange, the rooted plant arrived with a weird green mesh over the tip, when I removed it a dried broken off tip fell off. I questioned it but he swore it was shipped intact. But I was new to Ebay, so I let it pass. Live and learn.

In any event, the tree is finally starting to show some promise now that it is planted in the ground, has a nice compact well branched growth habit. So we'll see how it looks next year after it has had a year to get established. I almost dug it up and threw it away this year but I have a feeling it might have some upside.

MJ,

Found some old pics from when I first bought my PJ. My patch is located by the coast so should be similar to your temps. John had my plant in a GH, so this is pics of the first blooms outside in coastal temps.

Your blooms look like my pics, so I would def say Purple Jack for your plumie.

Cheers

James,

I went back and looked at a few of the other flowers on the tree and some are the spitting image of the photos you posted, so I agree, it must be Purple Jack.

Question for you - is it worth wasting yard space on? I could never get it to bloom in a pot, and now, after transplanting into the ground this April, after six years in increasingly larger pots, it is finally putting out a few inflos with flowers, but the inflos are all very short, not many flowers on each, so the few flowers I have are mostly buried away in the foliage. Maybe due to not having had enough time to get established, or maybe just not a good performing variety for me here along the coast.

Any thoughts?

Mike

Mike,

I started a thread regarding plumerias performing with time and age. Basically like my initial PJ blooms, they looked pink with some lavender tint, but basically pink, for years. After having PJ for about 8 yrs now, its performed and looks purplish, even in cool and overcast days. The first 2 yrs or so that I had it didnt perform, few to no inflos and color was pink. Now that the tree is huge and mature its covered with inflos every year and the color is right on with large blooms. The growth habit is really good also.

I actually wanted to get rid of PJ the first couple years I had her as I thought she was not a performer aka junk. I really think she is worthy of any collectors space/collection. I gifted my 10ft PJ tree to a friend from Newport Bch, but shes been jet setting this whole summer and still has not had time to pick up her present as she says she is always busy trying to catch up when shes back, then she jets off again.
So @ this rate I might keep PJ in my collection lol

So basically be patient and I would def keep her, if you wanted to replace her with another purple I would recommend JL Metallica as she performs well growth and color wise in the coastal areas. So again be patient and give her some TLC.

Hope this helps.

Cheers

Here is a link that might be useful: Thread

Thank you James, that was very helpful. I suspect you will see future "you told me so...." posts with pictures here of my Purple Jack :)