Hollywood Pink, a true survivor

HOLLYWOOD PINKCan a plumeria tree recover from severe frost damage? When I first saw this badly damaged tree in 2014, I was certain we'd be pulling the dead stump a month later. In the end, its strong root system and vigorous growth habit enabled it to recover and thrive.OVERVIEW

Hollywood Pink Aug 2017

• 2 1/2-3" medium pink flowers; color varies with heat
• Vigorous, rapid growth habit on standard tree
• New branch tips are dark red in spring
• Flower production: blooms on 1/3 of branch tips
• Sun exposure: excellent

HISTORYThe Hollywood Pink tree, part of the original donation from the late Arturo Martinez, was planted in 2011 from a 5 gallon container. This variety is based on a tree growing in Hollywood, CA, and was named and sold by Marilynn's Garden.

Hollywood Pink Oct 2015

Each 2 1/2"-3" bloom varies from medium pink to white, depending on temperatures and amount of daylight. The August photo shows the darkest pink color.This October photo shows the effect of cooler nights - pale pink to white coloration. Flower size is consistent and doesn't vary with temperature swings.I often hear questions about dark, colorful branch tips:

Hollywood Pink: maroon tips

does it mean that the flower color will be dark and robust? It's a good indicator, that's true, but in the case of Hollywood Pink, the very dark, rich maroon color of springtime branch tips doesn't equate to a richly colored flower. By April, all the branch tips will be blackish red, but the blooms are just light pink, and by mid-summer, these tips are green colored.
FROST DAMAGEMost of the plumeria grove is frost free due to its location on top of Tallac Knoll. However, a small area, where Hollywood Pink is planted, received a bit of frost in 2013. A few other trees died, and the Hollywood Pink tree suffered extensive cold damage that destroyed most of the canopy. 

Hollywood Pink: damage extent

The cold damage was so extensive I was certain the tree would not survive another seasonIn this photo, the circled areas are tops of the branch stumps that remained after the frost - each branch about a foot long. The branch tips were all dead, sections of bark were missing and the pith was completely rotted on the two remaining branches, leaving hollow tubes. Fortunately, the tree did not continue rotting, and we were able to save two large branches.

Hollywood Pink: frost damage

Hollywood Pink pruned, June 2015

Hollywood Pink: healed Jan 2018

This damaged branch was pruned down to white living tissue and disinfected with hydrogen peroxide. A colony of ants was living in the void, so we poured diatomaceous earth into the gaps to drive them out. Below the pruning cut, the tree sprouted new green branches from existing leaf scars. Voids created by dead pith, particularly an upward-facing one like this, can collect water and cause rot. To keep water out, we filled the entire 8" deep void with DAP, a silicone sealer, from a home improvement store.Four years later, the tree shows no sign of rot. See how the previously green branches are now woody and strong, and the hole edges around the DAP are overgrown with bark.

Hollywood Pink: frost damage

On the other damaged branch, the tips were also dead and needed to be trimmed. Look closely: you can see the edge that delineates the dead, flattened bark from the living bark as a diagonal line just to the left of the tag's wire loop. All of this damage was pruned, disinfected and sealed, and new branches grew from its old leaf scars.These two branches produced the entire new canopy.
GROWTH HABIT and BLOOM PRODUCTIONEvery year, the volunteer team measures the overall height and width of each tree, and records a typical season's growth. They also count inflo production and the number of branch tips so we can chart how well it is blooming. Hollywood Pink is a fast growing tree, based on the wide gap between leaf scars and rapid canopy increase. Located in full sun, it blooms on approximately 1/3 of the tips.

Hollywood Pink June 2014

2014 - Grade D: 11 new tips, of various quality, sprouted from

Hollywood Pink March 2015

the old leaf scars. No inflos. Poor, awkward shape due to frost damage, but canopy did recover.2015 - Grade B: 7 inflos on 13 tips. At this stage, we aren't pruning it at all, we're just letting the tree recover. Since nothing was known about 'Hollywood Pink' origins until 2017, we didn't know its basic characteristics, such as bloom production, branching, tree shape, etc. This was the first year we had seen it bloom, and we know that trees produce better flowers as the root system strengthens. It was still blooming in November 2015.

Hollywood Pink Aug 2016

2016 - Grade A: The stump has recovered in 2 years! The tree has 11 inflos on 27 tips, and is 7' high and 9' across.By the spring of 2016, the tree has added 10" of new growth from last year. It still gets occasional BT (black tip) on new, tender tips from springtime cold snaps. The volunteer team prunes and disinfects any damage, and we've observed that these trimmed branches consistently die back to the main branch. This is an important consideration when pruning a tree: it may be a genetic trait, pruning technique, dirty tools, weak root system, etc.

Hollywood Pink July 2017

2017 - Grade A: Can you believe this is the same tree? Blooming is very good, and new branch production after blooming is excellent. In 2017, it produced 38 inflos on 119 tips. It is now 7' tall and almost 10' wide, and grew a whopping 24" since last season. Even though many branches grow horizontally, none have broken off the tree.

This March photo, taken during winter dormancy, shows

Hollywood Pink Mar 2017

the branching habit: the tip with previous year's inflo produced 3-4 new branches. You can also see the natural shape of the tree - broad and spreading.Lei makers, who need to easily collect blooms, often chop trees to knee height in order to force this type of tree shape. If you visit Hawaii and see fields of plumeria trees growing low to the ground, you can assume they are used for lei flowers.

Hollywood Pink Jan 2018

2018 - Grade A: Due to a very mild winter in Southern California, Hollywood Pink did not shed her leaves, as shown in this January photo. Part of our grove management philosophy is to let each tree grow the way it wants to grow and only prune if necessary. We do not denude trees at season's end; we let leaves fall off naturally and record any side effects. When the leaf stem turns yellow in the spring, we know the tree is shedding the leaf and we'll just knock it off the tree. By March, the tree was already pushing new, deep red growth and leaf claws, but still had last year's leaves. Compare it to the 2017 dormancy photo, and you can see how the tree retained its canopy. At season's end, we'll measure and count again and update this blog.

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