Kaneohe Sunburst plumeria is a deep pink Hawaiian cultivar with a big, brilliant yellow center and fine red lines running outward from the throat. It blooms heavily for a long season on an upright, densely branched tree, and it was once recommended as a commercial lei flower. Here is how to recognize it and what is documented.
The details below come from a University of Hawaii cultivar key, a germplasm record and current seller listings. For the wider picture of named types, see our plumeria varieties guide.
Kaneohe Sunburst Plumeria at a Glance
| Trait | Details |
|---|---|
| Color | Deep pink with a large, brilliant yellow center and dark red radiating lines |
| Flower size | About 3.75 inches across |
| Petal shape | Narrow and pointed, with slight overlap |
| Fragrance | Mild and sweet |
| Bloom season | March to October in Hawaii, with heavy production |
| Growth habit | Upright with dense branching |
| Leaf | Light green with acute tips |
| Species or parentage | Plumeria rubra f. rubra |
| Breeder or origin | Hawaii; breeder not well documented |
| Registration | PSA number not well documented |
What Kaneohe Sunburst Looks Like
The face of the flower is a deep, saturated pink. A large yellow center opens out from the throat, and thin dark red lines radiate across each petal like the rays in the name. The back of the petal carries a narrow, strong red band.
The petals are narrow and pointed, and they overlap only slightly. That gives the bloom a slightly open, starry look instead of a full, rounded one. At roughly 3.75 inches across, it is a medium to large flower.
Texture is described as good, and keeping quality as fair to good. The leaves are light green with sharply pointed tips, which is a useful clue on an unlabeled plant.
How the color shifts with heat and flower age is not well documented. Plumeria pinks often look different in cool and hot weather, so judge a plant by several flowers, not one.
Flower clusters and keeping quality
Heavy production means many flowers open across the season. That suits growers who want steady color in the garden. Fair to good keeping quality means picked flowers last a reasonable time but should not be expected to outlast the best lei types.
Kaneohe Sunburst Fragrance
The documented scent is mild and sweet. It will not match the heavy perfume of the best scented cultivars. If scent is your main goal, our guide to fragrant plumeria varieties lists stronger options.
How to Tell Kaneohe Sunburst Apart From Look Alikes
| Cultivar | Color and pattern | Petal shape | Fragrance | Key tell |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaneohe Sunburst | Deep pink, large yellow center, dark red lines | Narrow, pointed, slight overlap | Mild, sweet | Red radiating lines and pointed petals |
| Kauka Wilder | Warm rose pink with a large bright yellow center | Full, rounded, pinwheel arrangement | Strong, sweet, fruity | Rounder petals and a much stronger scent |
| Dean Conklin | Salmon with a large orange center, reddish margin | Wide, long, twisted, round tip | Faint, spicy carnation | Salmon and orange tones, not true pink |
The easiest split is petal shape. Kaneohe Sunburst has narrow, pointed petals, while Kauka Wilder is rounder and fuller. Dean Conklin leans salmon and orange instead of a clean deep pink.
Mislabels are a real risk. A germplasm record for this name carries a note that its orange flower color was not the true Kaneohe Sunburst.
One marketplace cutting listing mixes a golden yellow description with a lilac orange title. The same name can be attached to very different flowers. Our pink plumeria guide and the pink and yellow plumeria page help you compare similar combinations.
Growing Kaneohe Sunburst
Documented growing traits are limited, so this section sticks to what the cultivar key supports. The plant is upright and densely branched, and it was judged suitable for landscaping. That points to a tree that fills out well in the ground.
Flower production is heavy over a long season in Hawaii. Seedpod production is also listed as heavy. Kaneohe Sunburst plumeria sun, heat and cold tolerance is not well documented.
Container suitability is not documented either. Treat it like most Plumeria rubra types and start with our plumeria care guide for light, water, feeding and winter protection.
Origin and History
The University of Hawaii cultivar key lists Kaneohe Sunburst with its flower description, parentage and a recommendation as a commercial source of lei flowers. It does not name a breeder or give a year. The name points to Kaneohe, a town on the windward side of Oahu, but the key does not explain how the name was chosen.
A USDA germplasm record shows a cutting donated through the University of Hawaii collection in 2000. It lists the name as a cultivar of unknown hybrid status, gives no breeder, and notes that the accession no longer exists. Registration with the Plumeria Society of America is not well documented.
Where to Buy and How to Propagate
Kaneohe Sunburst is sold mostly as unrooted cuttings, and sometimes as rooted plants, by plumeria specialty nurseries and online marketplace sellers. It is rarely a garden center plant. Specialty growers and society sales are the usual sources, and our guide to buying plumeria cuttings explains how to vet a seller.
Ask for clear photos of the flower, not just a sample bloom from a different plant. A seller who shows the deep pink face with yellow center and red lines is a better bet than one using stock photos.
Propagation is by cuttings or grafting, which keeps the plant true to the parent. Our step by step guide on how to take plumeria cuttings covers the method. Seeds from the heavy pods will not come true, so seedlings can look quite different.
Strengths and Weaknesses
- Strengths: striking deep pink and yellow bloom, long season, heavy flowering, upright branching form.
- Weaknesses: mild scent, limited documentation, and a real mislabel risk when buying.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What color is Kaneohe Sunburst plumeria?
It is deep pink with a large, brilliant yellow center and dark red lines. The back of each petal has a narrow red band. Some sellers describe it differently, so compare any plant against these features.
Is Kaneohe Sunburst fragrant?
It has a mild, sweet scent according to the Hawaii cultivar key. It is not among the strongest scented cultivars. Seller claims of an intense perfume are not backed up by that description.
Who bred Kaneohe Sunburst plumeria?
The breeder is not well documented. The cultivar is associated with Hawaii and appears in the Hawaii research collection. No year or registration number was found in the sources reviewed.
Is Kaneohe Sunburst good for leis?
The Hawaii cultivar key recommends it as a commercial source of lei flowers because of its heavy production. Keeping quality is rated fair to good. That makes it usable for leis, though not the longest lasting type.
Does Kaneohe Sunburst grow true from seed?
No. Plumeria seedlings vary from the parent, so seeds will not give you Kaneohe Sunburst. Use cuttings or grafting to keep the cultivar.