Of the 283 seedlings from William Moragne’s first controlled cross in 1953, he kept just 35 of the best. Edi Moragne plumeria descends from that pairing by its listed parentage, and it carries the name of one of his granddaughters.
It is a white flower with a gold throat and a jasmine scent. Sellers and gardens disagree on small details such as the pink edge and the underside, so this page lays out each version.
Edi Moragne Plumeria at a Glance
| Trait | Details |
|---|---|
| Color | White with a medium gold throat and a thin pink rim (nursery listing); white with a yellow center (garden record); yellow and white with pink tinging in hot weather (second nursery) |
| Flower size | About 4 inches (10 cm) across |
| Petal shape | Broad, rounded, slightly pointed and incurved, overlapping, with a heavy texture |
| Fragrance | Jasmine, described as strong and sweet |
| Bloom season | Spring and summer (one nursery); year round in Singapore (garden record) |
| Growth habit | Medium, about 12 to 24 inches of growth per year |
| Leaf | Large, green, leathery, clustered at the branch tips |
| Species or parentage | Daisy Wilcox (pod parent) x Scott Pratt (pollen parent), from one listing |
| Breeder or origin | Moragne line from Kauai, Hawaii; named for a granddaughter of William Moragne Sr.; individual breeder credit not well documented |
| Registration | Number 147 in one nursery listing; not well documented beyond that |
Color, size and scent are backed by at least two sources. Parentage, registration number and the notes on rooting come from a single nursery listing, so treat them as one reported account.
What Edi Moragne Looks Like
The flower
The base color is white. A medium gold throat sits at the center, and a thin pink line runs around the petal edges on the listing that describes it most closely.
The petals are broad and rounded, with slightly pointed tips that curve inward. They overlap to make a full, heavy textured flower about 4 inches across. The blooms open in terminal clusters.
Sources do not agree on the back of the petal. One nursery says the underside is white. A Singapore garden record describes a light pink band underneath.
Another nursery says the flowers read as yellow and white and pick up pink tinging in hotter weather. Plumeria color shifts with temperature, light and bloom age. That may explain some of the gap, but it is not documented for this cultivar.
Leaves and branches
The leaves are large, green and leathery with smooth edges. One listing calls them oblanceolate with a pointed tip. The garden record calls them elliptic.
The same listing describes a dense but rangy structure. Mature height in a container is not documented. In the ground in Singapore, the plant can reach about 8 m (26 feet).
Edi Moragne Fragrance
Both a nursery listing and the Singapore record describe a jasmine scent. The listing calls it strong and sweet. A second nursery says the flowers are sweetly fragrant.
A finer breakdown of scent notes is not documented.
How to Tell Edi Moragne Apart From Look Alikes
Several Hawaiian cultivars mix white, gold and pink. The table compares Edi with four that people may confuse with it.
| Cultivar | Color and pattern | Petal shape | Fragrance | Key tell |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edi Moragne | White, medium gold throat, thin pink rim | Broad, rounded, incurved | Jasmine | Stays white with only a thin pink edge |
| Daisy Wilcox | Opens light pink, fades to creamy white, strong yellow throat, pink band on the back | Obovate, broad, rounded tips | Spicy | Starts pink and has a pink reverse |
| Mary Moragne | Cream pink with an orange center and a pink band on the back | Not well documented | Spicy yet sweet | Pink body and an orange center |
| Jeannie Moragne | Reddish pink with a large orange center | Narrow, slightly pointed tips | Sweet, rose | Red tones, not white |
| Celadine | Yellow | Not well documented | Lemon | Yellow rather than white |
Daisy Wilcox is the closest match because it is Edi’s listed seed parent and also fades toward white with a yellow throat. Watch the first day or two of a bloom. Daisy opens pink and loses color, while Edi is described as white from the start.
Moragne plants are often sold as unflowered cuttings, so a wrong label can go unnoticed for a year or more. The Moragne line shares one set of parents, and the siblings can look alike in photos. See white and yellow plumeria for the wider group of white and gold cultivars.
Growing Edi Moragne
Variety specific notes are thin. One listing calls the growth medium, at about 12 to 24 inches a year.
It also says the cultivar is hard to root and sensitive to soil compaction, so it wants well drained soil. That advice comes from a single listing.
The same listing recommends grafting over rooting cuttings, and it rates the flowers as long lasting and good for leis and arrangements. The Singapore record notes that the plant is prone to mealybugs, sooty mold and rust in that climate. That is a local report, not proof it applies elsewhere.
Cold tolerance, sun or heat sensitivity and container size are not well documented. For soil, water, feeding and winter protection, follow our plumeria care guide.
Origin and History
William Middleton Moragne Sr. (1905 to 1983) managed Grove Farm on Kauai and began plumeria breeding research in 1950.
Grove Farm’s own history records his first controlled cross in 1953. He pollinated four light pink Daisy Wilcox flowers with pollen from a dark red Scott Pratt.
That cross produced 283 seedlings, and he kept 35. He named his favorites for the women in his family.
A Florida nursery says Edi Moragne is named for the granddaughter of William Moragne Sr. Grove Farm’s history does not list the individual names, so the granddaughter story rests on that one listing. The year of naming, the breeder who selected this seedling and a registration body are not well documented.
The same nursery lists registration number 147 and Daisy Wilcox x Scott Pratt as the cross. That matches the pairing in the Grove Farm account, but it does not prove this exact seedling came from the 1953 batch. For other classics, see our plumeria varieties guide.
Where to Buy and How to Propagate
Edi Moragne is a specialty cultivar sold by plumeria nurseries.
Brad’s Buds and Blooms has listed it as a plant and as seeds. Florida Colors Nursery has listed it in its Hawaii collection. Both listings have shown it out of stock at times.
Our guide to where to buy plumeria cuttings covers what to ask a seller, including a bloom photo of the parent plant. To make your own, follow how to take plumeria cuttings.
Because one listing calls it hard to root, grafting onto an established rootstock is worth considering. Seeds will not grow true. Each seedling is a new plant, which is how Moragne found his hybrids in the first place.
Strengths and Weaknesses
- Strengths: large, heavy textured white flowers with a gold throat, a strong jasmine scent and flowers that last well in leis and arrangements.
- Weaknesses: reported to be hard to root, sensitive to compacted soil, sparse documentation and uneven availability.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What color is Edi Moragne plumeria?
It is white with a gold or yellow throat and, in most descriptions, a thin pink rim. Hot weather may add pink tinging, and sources disagree on whether the underside is white or pink banded.
Is Edi Moragne plumeria fragrant?
Yes. Sources describe a sweet jasmine scent, and one listing calls it strong.
Who is Edi Moragne plumeria named after?
A Florida nursery says it is named for a granddaughter of William Moragne Sr., the Kauai breeder who made the first controlled plumeria cross in 1953.
Is Edi Moragne hard to root?
One nursery listing says so and recommends grafting. Other sources do not discuss rooting, so plan on grafting if your cuttings stall.
How big are Edi Moragne flowers?
About 4 inches, or 10 cm, across. They open in terminal clusters.
Is Edi Moragne the same as Daisy Wilcox?
No. Daisy Wilcox is listed as its seed parent. Daisy opens light pink and fades toward white, while Edi is described as white.