Visit SoCal's Plumeria Grove!
Why all the excitement? Because the Arbo's plumeria grove is unique - public places to see mature plumeria trees are scarce, as most trees are located in private gardens. Even rarer is a plumeria grove that can be used for education and tours.
With the support of the Arbo staff, generous donors, and awesome, hard working volunteers, the plumeria grove was rejuvenated and expanded to over 100 varieties. Each tree is now properly fed, shaped, correctly labeled and securely staked.
Each tree has a story to tell! Many visitors remark about memories of huge, wonderfully fragrant trees in Hawaii (yes, I know they aren't native to Hawaii, but that's another blog). There's actually thousands of plumeria varieties, and they vary greatly in size, color, growth and scent. Seeing the different trees side by side really makes it hit home!
How do I visit? You can wander through the plumeria collection anytime you visit the Arboretum.
We also have fun events and workshops! To celebrate our favorite flower, the Arbo hosts the popular Plumeria Day event during the height of bloom season, featuring grove tours, workshops, plumeria society meet-n-greet tables plus lots of plumeria plants, cuttings and gifts for you to purchase.
Roll forward four years... To showcase each tree's unique qualities, I'm expanding the grove's education aspect to share the knowledge we've gleaned over the years. Caring for the grove has been a learning experience for all of us (which means it didn't always work the way we thought) and I'll share those insights too.
Why a Blog? Three years ago, the plumeria grove got its own Facebook page to take advantage of social media's reach. Works great... if you use Facebook!
Although social media is great for sharing information, the Facebook platform has disadvantages: no layout control, no table of contents and most importantly, it's basically inaccessible to the Facebook-averse.
Even within Facebook, searching is limited. I can tag this tree photo as 'Pink Parfait', but you won't find it unless you've already 'liked' the grove page. You can't simply google this FB photo either. Go ahead, I'll wait... 😃
A blog is like a newsletter, in many ways - it's easy to read and incorporates photos well. Unlike a newsletter, though, each blog entry will be periodically updated with new information. After all, trees grow!
What to expect (with lots of photos and videos!)
There's lots of resources to help you successfully grow plumeria. Everything I've personally learned came from the generosity of the online plumeria community, local clubs like the South Coast Plumeria Society and numerous growers who share those little bits of 'tribal knowledge' that make everyone's plumeria trees thrive. Get to know other local growers, join an online group or regional society to get the best advice for your growing conditions.
So from the Arbo grove volunteers to you, please enjoy our Plumeria blog!
Happy growing!
Diana Donnellan at plumaticasylum@gmail.com
Donald Angus Red
- Where: Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanical Garden in Arcadia, CA, just north of Los Angeles
- What: Over 100 mature trees in a naturally landscaped grove, showcasing diverse bloom colors, shapes and scents
- When: Bloom season runs from late May through December, with peak bloom from mid July to early October
- Who: Both casual admirers and plumeria enthusiasts will enjoy strolling amid the flowering trees
Why all the excitement? Because the Arbo's plumeria grove is unique - public places to see mature plumeria trees are scarce, as most trees are located in private gardens. Even rarer is a plumeria grove that can be used for education and tours.
 |
Dragon Tears |
With the support of the Arbo staff, generous donors, and awesome, hard working volunteers, the plumeria grove was rejuvenated and expanded to over 100 varieties. Each tree is now properly fed, shaped, correctly labeled and securely staked.
Each tree has a story to tell! Many visitors remark about memories of huge, wonderfully fragrant trees in Hawaii (yes, I know they aren't native to Hawaii, but that's another blog). There's actually thousands of plumeria varieties, and they vary greatly in size, color, growth and scent. Seeing the different trees side by side really makes it hit home!
How do I visit? You can wander through the plumeria collection anytime you visit the Arboretum.
We also have fun events and workshops! To celebrate our favorite flower, the Arbo hosts the popular Plumeria Day event during the height of bloom season, featuring grove tours, workshops, plumeria society meet-n-greet tables plus lots of plumeria plants, cuttings and gifts for you to purchase.
Roll forward four years... To showcase each tree's unique qualities, I'm expanding the grove's education aspect to share the knowledge we've gleaned over the years. Caring for the grove has been a learning experience for all of us (which means it didn't always work the way we thought) and I'll share those insights too.
Why a Blog? Three years ago, the plumeria grove got its own Facebook page to take advantage of social media's reach. Works great... if you use Facebook!
 |
| Marilynn's Pink Parfait |
Although social media is great for sharing information, the Facebook platform has disadvantages: no layout control, no table of contents and most importantly, it's basically inaccessible to the Facebook-averse.
Even within Facebook, searching is limited. I can tag this tree photo as 'Pink Parfait', but you won't find it unless you've already 'liked' the grove page. You can't simply google this FB photo either. Go ahead, I'll wait... 😃
A blog is like a newsletter, in many ways - it's easy to read and incorporates photos well. Unlike a newsletter, though, each blog entry will be periodically updated with new information. After all, trees grow!
What to expect (with lots of photos and videos!)
 |
| Intense Rainbow |
- Thematic posts to cover a whole range of plumeria topics, both complex (e.g. what does 'growth habit' mean) and brief (e.g. why are my new leaves wrinkled).
- Tree journals with detailed descriptions of our 100+ named and NOID (NO IDentification) trees. Photos show you the characteristics of each: flowers, growth habit, tree shape, and so forth. You can watch it grow year by year, plus learn the history behind each tree and what we feel are its unique qualities. Every tree is different!
- Pictorial guides to common plumeria problems and how we deal with them (or not) in the grove.
- Grove management topics such as general plumeria tree care, pruning and lessons learned. We have some mysteries too, and you can join us as we try to understand what happened and why.
- Helpful hints to help you plan your Visit to the plumeria grove, located in the famous Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden in Arcadia, California. You can explore the plumeria collection at your own pace or attend one of our in-depth hands-on workshops. Don't miss the fabulous Plumeria Day event every summer.
- Easy to use self-guided walking tours can be downloaded to your mobile device. I update them each year to reflect changes in the grove.
- Fundraising to honor our much-loved local plumerian, Bud Guillot, who has given so much to the plumeria community.
- and finally, a peek at other plumeria groves I've visited around the world, such as the Naples Botanical Garden.
There's lots of resources to help you successfully grow plumeria. Everything I've personally learned came from the generosity of the online plumeria community, local clubs like the South Coast Plumeria Society and numerous growers who share those little bits of 'tribal knowledge' that make everyone's plumeria trees thrive. Get to know other local growers, join an online group or regional society to get the best advice for your growing conditions.
So from the Arbo grove volunteers to you, please enjoy our Plumeria blog!
Happy growing!
Diana Donnellan at plumaticasylum@gmail.com
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