In its homeland in Central America and the Caribbean, the frangipani grows into stately trees. With us, the succulent, also known as plumeria, can only be cultivated as a houseplant. What do you have to consider when keeping them in the room?
The frangipani is a demanding houseplant
The right location
In its homeland, frangipani grows in very warm, sunny locations. When caring for it as a houseplant, you must therefore make sure that it is given a sufficiently bright and well-tempered place. In summer she appreciates a place on the terrace or balcony.
Frangipani belongs to the dogbane family and, like all plants belonging to this genus, is poisonous. Therefore, look for a location out of the reach of children and pets.
You should always wear gloves when caring for them, as the milky juice contained in the leaves can cause skin irritation.
Caring for frangipani as a houseplant
When pouring frangipani, you need a sure instinct. In summer it needs a lot of water without waterlogging. It is always watered from below so that no water gets onto the leaves.
Plumeria is only fertilized until flowering begins. Fourteen-day fertilizer applications are completely sufficient. From the flowering period until the next spring, you should no longer fertilize frangipani, as the plant will then develop no or only a few new flowers.
Cutting is not necessary. Frangipani branches itself after flowering. If you want to branch Plumeria artificially, cut off the main shoot or later the shoot tips.
Don't repot the frangipani too early
Plumeria is sensitive. This mainly applies to repotting. Wait at least two, preferably three, years before moving to a new pot. If the frangipani is already older, it is only repotted every five years.
After repotting, you must not fertilize the houseplant for several months.
Well-drained soil is suitable as a substrate. You can choose the substrate
- grated coconut
- perlite
- sand
- cactus soil
put together yourself.
tips
The types of frangipani most commonly grown as houseplants are Plumeria rubra and pudica. Plumeria alba, which is often confused with the pure white flowering variety rubra, is more difficult to cultivate indoors.