set up a flag so you know when the vine branches stop growing or being created and then display the images at the end of those branches..
or count the branches so u know when it reaches that count, it stoped growing and then display the image

you could keep track on the number of branches (or childs) one node has.. if it reaches some value lets say 5, you draw the flower.. sumtin like that..

sorry, but I still have the same problems, I've moved the count elements (startAngle & timer) out of the parameters for a vine object and into the variables within the the Vine class. I used those as an independent count  for the flowers, but still I get only one of the 5 frames of the flower "blooming". I've included the full code this time (excluding different instances). Thanks for the help.


ArrayList a;
Vine v;
PImage backdrop;

void setup(){
 size(494, 710);
 backdrop= loadImage(
 //"mount.jpg"
 //"wood.jpg"
 //"pinup.jpg"
 //"eden.jpg"
 "swing.jpg"
 //"versailles.jpg"
 );
 background(backdrop);
 frameRate(60);

 a = new ArrayList();
Vine v = new Vine(new CompStore(random((width/4)-85,(width/4)+5),height-100.0), 100.0, 0.01, -1);
a.add(v);
}

void draw(){

 Vine v = (Vine) a.get(0);
 v.fdisplay();
 v.update();
 v.render();

if(v.timeToSplit()){
  v.fdisplay();
  a.remove(0);
  //new vine
  a.add(v.splitOff());
 }

class Vine{
 float vel;
 float timer= random(-PI+1.5707,-0.5);
 CompStore loc = new CompStore();
 CompStore base;
 int dir;
 CompStore startAngle = new CompStore(-PI-1.5707);
 
 //information for flower animation
 float rad;
 float animLocX;
 float animLocY;
 float animBaseX;
 float animBaseY;
 float animRad;
 boolean animSwitch;
 PImage[] flower = new PImage[5];
 int frame = -1;
 
 
 Vine(CompStore location, float radius,  float velocity, int direction){
 vel = velocity;
 rad=radius;
 base = location;
 dir= direction;
 loadImages("flower_a_");
 }

 
 void update(){
   if(startAngle.count<=timer){
      loc.x= rad * cos(startAngle.count)*dir;
      loc.y = rad * sin(startAngle.count);
      startAngle.count+=vel;
   }
 }
 
 void render(){
   pushMatrix();
   translate(loc.x, loc.y);
   ellipseMode(CENTER);
   fill(4, 111, 2, 125);
   smooth();
   noStroke();
   ellipse(base.x, base.y, 0.5, 0.5);
   popMatrix();
   }
 
 boolean timeToSplit(){
   if(startAngle.count<=timer){
     return false;
   }else{
   return true;
   }
 }

 
 Vine splitOff(){
   float pos = random(0.7,0.9);
   float loc0x = base.x + (rad * cos(startAngle.count-1*pos)*dir);
   float loc0y = base.y + (rad * sin(startAngle.count-1*pos));
   float timer = random(-PI+1.5707,-0.5);
   base.x = loc0x;
   base.y = loc0y*pos;
   rad=dist(loc0x, loc0y, base.x, base.y);
   vel = vel*1.05;
   dir = dir*-1;
   return new Vine(new CompStore(base.x,base.y), rad, vel, dir);
   }

/***************flower methods***************************/
void loadImages(String name) {
   for(int i=0; i<5; i++) {
     String imageName = name + "0" + i + ".gif";
     flower[i] = loadImage(imageName);
   }
 }

 void fdisplay(){
   if (startAngle.count>=timer){
   animRad = rad;
   animBaseX = base.x;
   animBaseY = base.y;
   animLocX=loc.x;
   animLocY=loc.y;  
   animSwitch = true;}
   if(frame<4&&animSwitch==true){
   frame++;
   float bigness=animRad*0.5+15;
   pushMatrix();
   translate(animLocX-bigness/2, animLocY-bigness/2);
   image(flower[frame], animBaseX, animBaseY, bigness, bigness);
   popMatrix();
   }else{ frame=-1; animSwitch = false;}
 }

}

/********************************************************/
 public class CompStore{
 public float x;
 public float y;
 public float count;
 
 CompStore(){
   x=0; y=0;
 }
 
 CompStore(float initial_angle){
   count = initial_angle;
 }
 
 CompStore(float x_, float y_){
   x=x_; y=y_;}
 
public CompStore copy() {
   return new CompStore(count);
 }
}

Also, when I try switching animSwitch to -1 and *-1 to switch back and forth the flowers appear with all their frames but right away and at 0,0

thanks again this is destroying my head

Here's the link:

http://eptheater1820.tripod.com/sketch.html

a little gross looking at the moment, but you should get the idea. Also, there will 4 instances of the vine