K,

Your collection is stunning. That handful of blooms and your "casserole" the other day blow me away. You said that it is your hot, humid weather that intensifies the color of blooms and flowering itself, but know that it's more your devotion to care of your grove. Wish we all could see what you've accomplished in your yard.

Have two Waimeas and wonder what you meant by ugly growth habit. Mine look ok right now but they've only been planted from cuttings for about nine months.

Nancy

Hi Nancy. Thank you for the compliments. Its a peaceful hobby which has an appealing balance of physical and technical requirements.

My experience with Waimea has been this gangly horizontal sprawling plant with a propensity to black tip. I'm not sure if its just mine, which is possible, or the local climate. Its rooted from a cutting purchased in Hawaii in 2011 or 12 so should be good stock or maybe I just so happened to pick a Sport branch. Most of us in the Austin/San Antonio area are not big fans of Waimea as having experienced the same thing.

IMO there are some regional/local climate poor performers. A very knowledgeable plumeria grower told me at the PSA sale that he was selling his last California Sally because in his opinion it did not perform well in the his local conditions. Which was very odd as mine performs great with big blooms and even has a very light scent. I dont know his source but I do know mine came from Bud G.'s tree via Emerson Willis.

The Jury is still out on Waimea from my perspective. This is the first year in its new place which has about 3 hours more sun on average so I will see how it does from here. I am just letting it get blasted with full sun and drip watering it every other day to see what happens (plus whatever the greywater sprinklers give it). I pruned off all the horizontal growth a few weeks ago and staked it up to improve the shape. Over the next few weeks I will continue to adjust the stakes and lines to reshape the plant. Hopefully the soft branches harden off and keep the molded shape.

Here is another "before" picture with a Paul Wiessich in the background.

Backyard and spring 2017 · More Info

and here is the "after" as I came back by a few minutes later.

Backyard and spring 2017 · More Info

Here is where reachable blooms disappeared to. One of my Flower Pixies was preparing to make a lei. Flowers are meant to be picked and enjoyed. I have learned to just beat them outside with a camera in the mornings.

Backyard and spring 2017 · More Info

the_first_kms2(8/9): Waimea is a bit finicky for me, too. It was the only one that had a few black tips for me this spring. But I probably set it out too early and then we had a cool spell. I should have let it leaf out in the warm garage first. Then it would have done better I think. I'm surprised that would happen in SA though.

This one seems to have needed to attain a certain large mass before it bloomed well for me. In fact, this has been the best summer and it's getting to be a monster. Initially the stems/branches got really long, but now that it's blooming, it blooms on about 10" to 12" stems. Not compact, but Vera Cruz Rose is much worse.

It's no Penang Peach, but boy I sure love the color! It just glows from a distance.

K,

Would that some flower pixies would visit me! Be interested in hearing how your Waimea manages down the road after all the manhandling.

Dave,

The color of yours is yummy. Petals look thick too. Mine flowered for the first time this spring but the flowers were not more that 1.5-2"- will they get larger as the plant matures?

Nancy

Petunia, they do get a little bigger as the plant puts on more mass. The colors in my pic are pretty true. I've found overcast evenings or mornings are best for taking pics. Not sunny days.