A Visit to Florida Colors Nursery: Plumeria Paradise

Blink and you’ll miss it—unless you have “plumie-radar,” sensing thousands of plumeria trees before the entrance. No sign, just a sea of plumerias.

You’re greeted by barking dogs and a cheerful “Bonjour!” from Luc Vannoorbeeck, originally from Belgium, who runs this sprawling nursery with his wife Carol. Hop on a golf cart for a tour—both are eager guides.

The Vannoorbeecks switched to plumeria in 1993 after Hurricane Andrew destroyed their hibiscus nursery. Hibiscus had pest issues; they wanted a change. At a conference, Luc met Dr. Richard Criley, a plumeria expert from the University of Hawaii, ordered cuttings, and never looked back. Luc says plumeria is an easy crop with few pests (one is in my article “Big Worms with Scary Teeth”), and he simply likes them.

Off to one side is the “Grove,” where trees grow in the ground. Here are their renowned seedlings: ‘Abigail’, ‘Marion B’, ‘Pink Ruffles’, ‘Lily Warmtoes’ (pictured). Rows of new seedlings—all from the same pod for comparison—await bloom verification. Usually five or six new varieties yearly meet their high standards for propagation and sale.

Visitors might name a promising seedling—‘Henriette’ was named and registered with the Plumeria Society of America this way.

Southeast Asia, especially Thailand, now cultivates plumeria as a major business. Fantastic new varieties are imported, but the Vannoorbeecks warn against wildly colored flowers that often carry a virus weakening and killing plants.

Carol handles business—phone and email orders—while Luc is a master grafter. Why graft when plumeria roots easily? Summer storms uproot rooted cuttings; seedlings with superior root systems withstand wind. Luc grafts cuttings onto seedlings from varieties with the best root systems. A tray of ‘Moonlight’ seedlings awaits potting for next year’s grafting projects.

After a cold drink, the best part: shopping. You can browse the catalog, but I let Luc or Carol recommend new stock matching my taste. For beginners, they suggest proven performers with exceptional scent, like the beloved ‘Vera Cruz Rose’, a bestseller.

Future goals: hybridizing dwarf varieties for small spaces, and evergreen types for “snowbirds” who avoid plumeria because they look poor in winter. Florida Colors and other nurseries are working on both.

I’ll be back for my next “plumeria fix.”

All photos by the author except Luc and Carol’s portrait, supplied by Carol. Visited in early spring when most plants were dormant; summer brings a mass of green and color.