Your wishy washy plumeria opened deep pink last week, and this week the new flowers look pale and soft. That swing is not a sign of sickness. It is the reason the cultivar has its name.
Wishy washy plumeria is also sold as Cooktown Queen, an Australian name for what sellers treat as the same plant. This guide covers how the color shift works, what the flowers look like, and how to avoid a mislabeled plant. For the bigger picture, see our plumeria varieties guide.
Wishy Washy Plumeria at a Glance
| Trait | Details |
|---|---|
| Color | Deep vivid pink in warm weather with a gold, orange and red swirl at the center; pastel version in cool weather |
| Flower size | About 3.5 to 4 inches across per two seller listings; one spec table says 4 inches or larger |
| Petal shape | Not well documented |
| Fragrance | Sweet; one seller describes it as sweet rose |
| Bloom season | Months not well documented; one seller rates it an average bloomer, not a prolific one |
| Growth habit | Medium, about 12 to 24 inches of growth per year, forming a balanced tree (one seller) |
| Leaf | Not well documented |
| Species or parentage | Not well documented |
| Breeder or origin | Cooktown, Queensland, Australia; the original tree is reported to still grow there; breeder not named |
| Registration | Not well documented |
Nearly everything published about this cultivar comes from two US nursery listings, and both tell the same color story. Treat the traits above as seller reported rather than as registry facts.
Why Wishy Washy Plumeria Changes Color
The name describes the flowers. The Brad’s Buds and Blooms listing says the plant was first called Wishy Washy. The blooms change color with the temperature.
In warm weather the flowers open a deep, vivid pink. The center carries a swirl of gold, orange and red. When the weather turns cool, new flowers open as a softer, pastel version of that pattern.
Both sellers describe the same shift.
Two shades on one flower cluster
Flowers that open under different conditions can sit side by side on the same flower cluster. The listing says this is most noticeable on days when the temperature swings up and down. A cluster with both deep pink and pastel blooms is normal for this cultivar.
What the color shift is not
Pale flowers in cool weather do not mean the plant is short of fertilizer, light or water. Bloom color on many cultivars depends on temperature, flower age and light.
A single pale flower tells you little. If you see poor flowering rather than pale flowering, our guide to plumeria care covers the usual causes.
How many degrees it takes to switch between the two looks is not well documented. Growers commonly judge it by watching their own plant across a season. A simple min and max thermometer near the plant makes the pattern easier to read.
What Wishy Washy Plumeria Looks Like
The flower
At its warm weather best, the bloom is a rich pink with a bright, multicolored heart. Gold, orange and red mingle in the center, so the flower looks warm even though pink is the base.
Both sellers give the width as about 3.5 to 4 inches, which puts it in the medium to large range. One spec table rounds that up to 4 inches or larger.
Neither listing describes the petal outline.
Whether the petals are rounded, narrow or overlapping is not well documented. The color of the petal backs is not described either.
Leaves, branches and plant size
Leaf shape and mature size are not well documented for this cultivar. One seller rates the growth as medium, about 12 to 24 inches a year, forming a balanced tree. The other figure is for rooted plants, which ship at 13 to 16 inches from the soil line.
Fragrance
Both listings call the scent sweet, and one adds a rose note. Beyond that there is no published breakdown of notes such as fruit, spice or citrus.
Whether the scent is stronger at certain times of day is not documented. If fragrance is your priority, our page on the most fragrant plumeria lists cultivars with better documented scents.
How to Tell Wishy Washy Plumeria Apart From Look Alikes
The confusion here is less about one lookalike and more about the word rainbow. Many pink, gold and red plumerias get sold with multicolor language. Two live pages on our site cover cultivars that buyers often compare with it.
| Cultivar | Color and pattern | Petal shape | Fragrance | Key tell |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wishy Washy (Cooktown Queen) | Deep pink with gold, orange and red center; pastel in cool weather | Not well documented | Sweet | Same plant looks deep pink or pastel depending on the weather |
| Intense Rainbow | Gold to yellow base with pink to dark red bands along the edges | Pointed, slightly separated, starfish like | Mild, light peach note | Yellow base with red banded edges; PSA registered |
| Musk Rainbow | Deep crimson to purplish red with orange, pink and purple tints | Not well documented | Strongly fruity | Much darker red, with a fruity scent |
The simplest check is the center and the base color. Wishy Washy is pink with a gold, orange and red swirl.
Intense Rainbow has a yellow base, and Musk Rainbow reads as dark red. For the wider group of striped and multicolor types, see our guide to rainbow plumeria.
Mislabel risk
Cuttings and young plants carry no flowers, so the label is the only clue. Two names for one plant add to the risk. A seller may list it as Wishy Washy, Cooktown Queen, or both.
Ask for a photo of a bloom from the actual plant. Remember that a pastel flower in cool weather can look like a different cultivar.
Growing Wishy Washy Plumeria
Sun tolerance and cold tolerance are not documented for this cultivar. One seller rates the growth as medium and the flowering as average rather than prolific. Do not expect it to outbloom a heavy producer.
Plan on the same basics as any plumeria: full sun, a fast draining mix and frost protection, as covered in our full care guide.
One practical point does follow from the color habit. If you want the deep pink look, expect it from flowers that open in warm weather.
Expect paler flowers in a cool spell. A pot is a reasonable choice for a plant sold at 13 to 16 inches, since you can move it as the seasons change.
Origin and History
Sellers file this plant under plumerias from Australia, and the Cooktown Queen name points the same way, since Cooktown is a town in far north Queensland.
One seller adds that the original mother tree still grows in a riverside park in Cooktown. There it is protected as a piece of local horticultural history, and a Cooktown resident is credited with the plant’s story. The breeder, the year it was named and any registration number are not well documented.
The listing says the plant was originally called Wishy Washy. That wording suggests Wishy Washy came first and Cooktown Queen is the later or regional name.
No source spells out the order. The name story and the traits both rest on seller descriptions alone.
Where to Buy and How to Propagate
Wishy Washy is sold by US plumeria nurseries. Brad’s Buds and Blooms lists it as a rooted, not grafted, plant in one to four tip options. Florida Colors Nursery offers it as grafted plants, rooted plants and cuttings under both names.
Australian growers may know it under the Cooktown Queen name, so search both, and expect stock to come and go.
Read our notes on where to buy plumeria cuttings before you order. Ask the seller for a bloom photo. To make more plants, follow our guide to taking plumeria cuttings.
Grafting also works for named cultivars. Seed will not come true, because seedlings of a named plant vary widely.
Strengths and Weaknesses
- Strength: A flower that changes with the weather, from vivid pink to soft pastel.
- Strength: A bright gold, orange and red center, and a sweet scent.
- Weakness: Thin documentation on parentage, breeder, leaf and growth habit.
- Weakness: Two names and a changing color raise the chance of a mix up at purchase.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Wishy Washy the same as Cooktown Queen?
Sellers list them together as one plant, written Wishy Washy (aka Cooktown Queen). No registry entry confirms it, so ask for a bloom photo when you buy.
Why do my Wishy Washy flowers look different from each other?
The cultivar’s blooms change color with the temperature. Flowers that open in warm weather are deep pink, and those that open in cool weather are pastel. Both can appear on one cluster during changeable weather.
Does Wishy Washy plumeria smell good?
Seller listings describe the fragrance as sweet, and one calls it sweet rose. More detail on the scent is not well documented.
How big are the flowers?
Both listings give about 3.5 to 4 inches across, and one spec table says 4 inches or larger. Those are seller figures, and size can vary with the plant’s age and growing conditions.
Can I grow Wishy Washy plumeria in a pot?
Yes, nothing suggests it needs special treatment. It ships as a small rooted plant, and a container lets you move it indoors before frost.