You order a cutting tagged Donald Angus, and the seller’s photo shows a red flower with an orange center. Then a second listing uses the same name for a cherry pink bloom with white streaks. If you are trying to pin down what a donald angus plumeria really looks like, the confusion is real.
The short version is that the Hawaii record and one nursery describe a red flower with red bands and an orange yellow center. Another nursery sells a pink plant under the same name. This guide lays out what is documented, where the sources split, and how to avoid buying the wrong plant.
Donald Angus Plumeria at a Glance
| Trait | Details |
|---|---|
| Color | Red with a large orange yellow center and strong red bands front and back in the Hawaii key; red with a dark orange center in one nursery listing; cherry pink with white streaks in another |
| Flower size | About 3 inches across in every source that gives a size |
| Petal shape | Wide, oval, with a rounded tip and moderate overlap; heavy texture |
| Fragrance | Mild and sweet; one seller adds a citrus note |
| Bloom season | March to November with moderate production in the Hawaii key; spring and fall in a 2001 tribute |
| Growth habit | Upright with open branching in the Hawaii key; a medium sized tree in nursery listings |
| Leaf | Light green with pointed tips, 13 to 14 inches long |
| Species or parentage | The Hawaii key lists its parentage as Common Yellow, with no second parent given |
| Breeder or origin | University of Hawaii collection; the original raiser is not well documented |
| Registration | One nursery lists it as PSA registered number 153; not confirmed elsewhere |
The most complete description comes from the University of Hawaii cultivar key. Nursery listings agree on size and sweet scent but split on color.
What Donald Angus Looks Like
The flower
The Hawaii key describes a moderate strong red flower with a large, moderate orange yellow center. Wide, strong red bands run down the front and back of each petal. The petals are wide and oval with round tips, they overlap moderately, and they have a heavy texture.
One nursery listing puts it more simply as a 3 inch red flower with a dark orange center.
The flower stalks are dark red and smooth, and the blooms sit in tight clusters. Flowers last well, and the key rates their keeping quality as very good. That matches the 2001 tribute to Donald Angus, which calls it a great keeper as a lei flower.
Leaves and branches
The leaves are light green with pointed tips and run 13 to 14 inches long. The plant grows upright with open branching, and the key calls it suitable for landscaping. The nursery listing agrees, describing a medium sized tree that is upright and somewhat open.
Fragrance
The scent is mild and sweet. One nursery adds a citrus note, and the other calls it mild and sweet with a frangipani essence. Nobody describes a strong or spicy perfume, so expect a gentle scent next to bolder varieties.
How the color shifts with heat or flower age is not well documented for this cultivar.
The Pink Donald Angus Problem
A Florida nursery sells a plant called Donald Angus, also known as University Cherry Pink. Its listing describes cherry pink blooms with white streaks, red bands and an orange yellow center. The Hawaii key lists no cherry pink name at all, and it describes the flower as red.
A second nursery also sells it as a red flower.
The pink listing matches the key on everything else: a 3 inch flower, wide oval petals with rounded tips, an orange yellow center and red bands. It also says the plant originated at the University of Hawaii. Only the ground color differs.
Both can be true in a limited sense, since plumeria color changes with sun, heat and age. But cherry pink and moderate strong red are far apart. Many growers would treat them as different plants, and the sources do not settle it.
For the red form in the Hawaii record, ask the seller for a flower photo and the plant’s source. If the photo shows pink, you may be buying a different selection under the same label.
How to Tell Donald Angus Apart From Look Alikes
| Cultivar | Color and pattern | Petal shape | Fragrance | Key tell |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donald Angus (Hawaii key) | Red, orange yellow center, red bands | Wide, oval, round tip | Mild, sweet | About 3 inches, upright habit |
| Donald Angus Selection #3 (also Angus #3, Curly Red) | Hot pink to red with darker lines and a golden center | Highly reflexed and twisted | Sweet and spicy, carnation note | Curly petals, 4 inches or larger |
| Donald Angus Gold (Pauahi Ali’i) | Brilliant yellow with wide dark red bands | Narrow, pointed tip | Lemon | Yellow ground color, sprawling habit |
The names cause most of the trouble. Angus #3 is a separate selection that one nursery introduced in 2022.
A federal germplasm record lists a red cultivar called Angus No. 3, donated from the Hawaii collection in 2001. Whether it is the same plant as the nursery’s selection is not stated in the sources.
Donald Angus Gold is a different cultivar with its own flower color. If your flower has a yellow base, you do not have the red Donald Angus.
Growing Donald Angus
Variety specific care for the donald angus plumeria is thinly documented. The Hawaii key gives it a long season, March to November, with moderate production. One nursery calls it a good bloomer with abundant flowers.
That suits a warm climate garden or a grower who wants lei flowers. Its upright, open habit also fits a landscape, though pruning advice for this cultivar is not well documented.
One nursery says the pink form is sensitive to cold and can be hard to root. That is a single source, so treat it as a caution, not a rule. In a cool area, read about plumeria cold hardiness and plan for protection.
Container suitability is not well documented. For everything else, watering, sun, feeding and soil, follow the basics in our plumeria care guide.
Origin and History of the Donald Angus Plumeria
The plant is named for Donald Angus, a Hawaii historian, horticulturist and collector of botanical prints who died in January 2001 at age 94. He imported plants to Hawaii and shared them with private gardeners and the Honolulu Botanical Gardens.
He also sent many unusual plumerias to Ted Chinn. Chinn started the university plumeria collection at Waimanalo in the 1960s.
A tribute published after his death says the Donald Angus plumeria was named in his honor.
It adds that a horticulturist made him a lei of it at a museum reception. He showed it to everyone he met. The year of naming, the person who selected it and the parent plants are not well documented.
The cultivar key lists its parentage as Common Yellow, the old Hawaiian yellow, and names no second parent. That is the only parentage statement available. The key also calls Donald Angus a patron of the university’s plumeria germplasm collection, which fits the tribute.
Where to Buy and How to Propagate
Donald Angus is sold mainly as cuttings and rooted plants by specialty nurseries. Florida Colors Nursery and a few other US sellers have carried it, and stock comes and goes. Our guide to where to buy plumeria cuttings covers how to vet a seller.
Because the name is used for both red and pink plants, ask for a photo of the actual flower. A label tells you little, and mislabeled plumeria are common. Seeds will not come true to the parent, since plumeria are heterozygous.
To propagate your own plant, use cuttings. Our guide on how to take plumeria cuttings walks through the steps. Grafting plumeria is the other reliable route.
Strengths and Weaknesses
- Strength: long bloom season, March to November, in the Hawaii key.
- Strength: flowers keep well, which suits lei making.
- Strength: upright, open habit that fits a landscape.
- Weakness: the color record is split between red and cherry pink.
- Weakness: the scent is mild, so it will not win a fragrance contest.
- Weakness: little care detail beyond one nursery’s cold and rooting caution.
For other reds, see our red plumeria guide, and for pink varieties see pink plumeria. The wider field is in our plumeria varieties guide.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Donald Angus a red or a pink plumeria?
The Hawaii cultivar key and one nursery describe it as red with an orange center. Another nursery sells a plant under the same name as cherry pink. Ask for a flower photo before you buy.
Who was Donald Angus?
He was a Hawaii historian, plant collector and print collector who died in 2001. He sent unusual plumerias to the university collection at Waimanalo, and the cultivar was named in his honor.
Does Donald Angus have a strong fragrance?
No. Sources describe a mild, sweet scent, with a citrus note from one seller. It is gentler than many classic plumeria.
How big are Donald Angus flowers?
About 3 inches across in every source that gives a size, including the Hawaii key and both nursery listings. Donald Angus Selection #3 is a different plant with larger blooms.
Is Donald Angus the same as Donald Angus Gold?
No. Donald Angus Gold, also sold as Angus Gold, has a yellow ground color and a lemon scent. It has its own entry in the Hawaii key under the name Pauahi Ali’i.