Exotic plumerias flowering passion for Indian Harbour Beach growers

BY MARIA SONNENBERG

In the 1990s, Northern transplants Bill Jurgens and Bryon Gardner first tried their hand at making plants grow under the vagaries of their new home in Brevard County.

The results were less than satisfactory.

“All the plants we liked up North did not do well here,” Jurgens said.

The avid gardeners did not despair, instead researching plant species until stumbling upon plumeria, aka frangipani, the brilliant shrubs and small trees that perfectly evoke the essence of the tropics.

It was an immediate love affair.

“We developed a deep passion very quickly,” Jurgens added.

The passion quickly became a hobby that soon became a business. Now B & B Exotics Plumeria boasts a worldwide reputation as an independent registered Florida nursery with the Florida Department of Agriculture. Jurgens and Gardner are sought-after speakers at horticultural conventions and events around the world.

The 15 years that Jurgens and Gardner have spent hand pollinating their trees have resulted in more than 120 different varieties. They have amassed an impressive collection that ranges from the standards to limited

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