Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Native shrubs are hanging on to their leaves, germinating plumeria seed pods

Properly stored plumeria seeds can last up to 2 years

Chaparral view from the trail.
Chaparral view from the trail.

The Chaparral, The Tangled Assortment of low-growing, drought-resistant native shrubs covering most of San Diego County’s lower mountain slopes, has managed to remain somewhat green this summer. Unlike many of the scrubby natives near the coast, chaparral plants tend to hang on to their leaves year round. This month, the coppery, sun-burnished remnants of last spring’s flower clusters are still clinging to the tips of buckwheat and chamise plants. A few wildflowers may have popped up here and there in response to any recent thunderstorm activity over the foothill and mountain areas. To enjoy the austere beauty of the chaparral landscape, explore the hillsides above Lake Morena and along Lyons Valley, Japatul, and Boulder Creek roads in East County. Or head inland from Escondido toward Ramona or Valley Center.

While Admiring Your Plumeria Flowers this time of the year, keep an eye out for seed pods on your plant. A newly planted plumeria can take up to 5 years to send out its first bloom and then those flowers will need to be pollinated, typically by Sphinx moths, hummingbirds or butterflies. Seed pods will follow a bloom, typically late summer or early fall, and then take 8 to 10 months to mature into viable seeds.

Sponsored
Sponsored
Plumeria seed pods will darken, dry out, split and drop viable seeds in 8-10 months.

Plumeria seeds must mature on the plant and if removed before ripening, the seeds will not germinate. Starting off small, seed pods will resemble green beans and grow to 6 to 8 inches in length and transition from green to dark brown in color. Eventually, the darkened seed pods will become dry and start to split open.

Most seed pods open in the spring but can open at any time of the year so keep an eye on them. A good tip is to wrap nylon pantyhose around the pod once it begins to split and this allows the seeds to still receive the sunlight and air they need while catching them if they fall from the pod. Once the pod has ripened and split, remove the seeds and either plant them immediately or save them in a breathable cloth bag, paper bag or envelope. Avoid plastic or sealed containers because they can trap moisture and lead to mold growth. Properly stored plumeria seeds can last up to 2 years, though fresher seeds generally have a higher germination rate.

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Drinking Sudden Death on All Saint’s Day in Quixote’s church-themed interior

Seeking solace, spiritual and otherwise
Next Article

Tigers In Cairo owes its existence to Craigslist

But it owes its name to a Cure tune and a tattoo
Chaparral view from the trail.
Chaparral view from the trail.

The Chaparral, The Tangled Assortment of low-growing, drought-resistant native shrubs covering most of San Diego County’s lower mountain slopes, has managed to remain somewhat green this summer. Unlike many of the scrubby natives near the coast, chaparral plants tend to hang on to their leaves year round. This month, the coppery, sun-burnished remnants of last spring’s flower clusters are still clinging to the tips of buckwheat and chamise plants. A few wildflowers may have popped up here and there in response to any recent thunderstorm activity over the foothill and mountain areas. To enjoy the austere beauty of the chaparral landscape, explore the hillsides above Lake Morena and along Lyons Valley, Japatul, and Boulder Creek roads in East County. Or head inland from Escondido toward Ramona or Valley Center.

While Admiring Your Plumeria Flowers this time of the year, keep an eye out for seed pods on your plant. A newly planted plumeria can take up to 5 years to send out its first bloom and then those flowers will need to be pollinated, typically by Sphinx moths, hummingbirds or butterflies. Seed pods will follow a bloom, typically late summer or early fall, and then take 8 to 10 months to mature into viable seeds.

Sponsored
Sponsored
Plumeria seed pods will darken, dry out, split and drop viable seeds in 8-10 months.

Plumeria seeds must mature on the plant and if removed before ripening, the seeds will not germinate. Starting off small, seed pods will resemble green beans and grow to 6 to 8 inches in length and transition from green to dark brown in color. Eventually, the darkened seed pods will become dry and start to split open.

Most seed pods open in the spring but can open at any time of the year so keep an eye on them. A good tip is to wrap nylon pantyhose around the pod once it begins to split and this allows the seeds to still receive the sunlight and air they need while catching them if they fall from the pod. Once the pod has ripened and split, remove the seeds and either plant them immediately or save them in a breathable cloth bag, paper bag or envelope. Avoid plastic or sealed containers because they can trap moisture and lead to mold growth. Properly stored plumeria seeds can last up to 2 years, though fresher seeds generally have a higher germination rate.

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

San Diego Dim Sum Tour, Warwick’s Holiday Open House

Events November 24-November 27, 2024
Next Article

Classical Classical at The San Diego Symphony Orchestra

A concert I didn't know I needed
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader