Five decades of growing, resilience, and plumeria discovery.

1976 | The nursery begins

Luc and Carol Vannoorbeeck established Florida Colors Nursery in the Homestead and South Florida area. The nursery initially concentrated on hibiscus and other tropical ornamentals, serving local gardeners while building deep practical experience with tropical plant culture, propagation, and grafting.

Those early hibiscus years mattered. The skills Luc and Carol developed – especially their understanding of grafting and production – later became central to the nursery’s success with plumeria.

Late 1980s | An unexpected change of direction

A severe pest crisis, especially the pink hibiscus mealybug and other damaging pests, devastated hibiscus across the region and heavily affected the nursery’s collection. The setback became a turning point.

Luc and Carol began collecting and propagating plumeria, drawn to their fragrance, wide range of bloom forms and colors, and growing collector interest. They obtained plants from other growers, rooted cuttings, and gradually assembled the material that would become a much larger plumeria collection.

1992 | Hurricane Andrew and reinvention

Hurricane Andrew struck South Florida in August 1992 and devastated nurseries throughout the region, including the Vannoorbeeck property. Recovery forced difficult choices, but it also clarified the nursery’s future. Luc and Carol committed their energy to plumeria cultivation, propagation, hybridization, and sales.

1993 | Hawaii, the Grove, and a foundational collection

In 1993 Luc and Carol purchased more than 100 plumeria cuttings from Hawaiian hybridizer Jim Little. During the same era, a major trip to Hawaii brought home more than thirty 50-pound boxes of plumeria cuttings. This remarkable infusion of plant material greatly expanded the nursery’s genetic and cultivar diversity.

The Grove was planted as a living collection. Original trees and parent plants established there became long-term references for identity, growth habit, bloom characteristics, propagation, and future hybridizing work.

Mid-to-late 1990s | Grafting and wholesale growth

As demand grew, Florida Colors expanded into wholesale, with Stokes Tropicals among its early major clients. Rooting cuttings alone could not always produce dependable plants quickly enough, so Luc and Carol applied their hibiscus grafting knowledge to plumeria.

They grew seedlings for rootstock and refined grafting methods using pins, rubber bands, and flexible florist tape. After grafting thousands of plants, they established a production approach that provided desirable cultivars with strong root systems and a dependable head start.

2000s | Cultivars, species, and a growing reputation

The nursery became known for high-quality grafted plumeria, uncommon species, serious cultivar diversity, and Florida Colors introductions. Original seedlings and cultivar families expanded, while mature trees, grafted plants, and rooted cuttings became central offerings.

2012-2013 | New stewardship and preserving Luc’s legacy

Tex and Kay Norwood joined Florida Colors Nursery in 2012 after relocating from Texas, strengthening cultivation, photography, documentation, education, and operations. Luc Vannoorbeeck passed away in early 2013. Carol, Tex, and Kay continued the nursery’s work while preserving Luc’s pioneering contributions and the stories attached to the collection.

2020s | New seedlings, education, and digital preservation

The house-seedling program continued to produce new introductions, including modern Florida Colors selections. At the same time, the nursery expanded its educational and record-keeping work through detailed cultivation guidance, cultivar documentation, photography, and connected online resources.

2026 | Fifty years of Florida Colors Nursery

The nursery’s 50th anniversary celebrates far more than longevity. It honors resilience, the shift from hibiscus to plumeria, Luc and Carol’s innovations, the people remembered through cultivar names, the original trees still growing in the Grove, and the community that carried Florida Colors plants around the world.