- origin
- growth
- leaves
- blossoms
- fruit
- Which location is suitable?
- What soil does the plant need?
- water plumeria
- Fertilize plumeria properly
- Cut plumeria properly
- hibernate
- propagate plumeria
- Diseases
- Is plumeria poisonous?
- sorts
The plumeria, also known as frangipani depending on the variety, has long played a prominent role not only in gardening culture, but also in perfumery. Read below why it is worth cultivating them in your home plant oasis.
The Plumeria comes from the warm tropics
Table of Contents
Show all- origin
- growth
- leaves
- blossoms
- fruit
- Which location is suitable?
- What soil does the plant need?
- water plumeria
- Fertilize plumeria properly
- Cut plumeria properly
- hibernate
- propagate plumeria
- Diseases
- Is plumeria poisonous?
- sorts
- Various species of Plumeria are distributed throughout the Neotropics (southern USA to southern Andes).
- Only the Frangipani species from the tropical region of Central America are relevant for local gardening culture
- Can only be kept in indoor culture all year round
- Frangipani cultivated in this country form a bushy, sprawling habit
- In the natural habitat up to 7 m high and up to 5 m wide, here a maximum of 3 m in height
- Other Plumeria species grow as large trees
- Richly branched shrubbery with fleshy twigs
- Contains toxic milky sap
- Attach alternately and in heaps at the ends of the shoots
- Elongated, elliptical to oblanceolate shape
- Length 20 to 40 cm, width up to 15 cm
- Rich, dark green color
- Distinctive veining
- Exceptionally strong, creamy-floral-fruity fragrance
- Five cupped, waxy petals, fused like funnels
- Magnificent color variations from pink to red or yellow and white
- Water vigorously, especially in summer, but in well-measured sections
- Absolutely avoid waterlogging
- Significantly reduce watering in winter
- Frangipani can, but does not have to be cut
- Because of the naturally beautiful growing crown, only prune if there is a real lack of space
- Otherwise the shoots can be trimmed without any problems
origin
Basically, only the Plumeria species known as Frangipani play a role in domestic indoor plant culture. However, the genus also includes a few other species (about 20), which are generally native to the Neotropics, i.e. the Central and South American, tropical to subtropical areas from the southern USA to the southern Andes. The range of individual species also extends to the West Indies.
The species that are relevant for us in Central Europe, the fragrant or the red frangipani, are native exclusively to the tropical areas from southern Florida via Mexico to Puerto Rico. Their original habitat is therefore a warm, humid rainforest climate, which is why they can only be kept in year-round room or greenhouse culture in this country.
The Austrians did this at the end of the 18th century in the Imperial Gardens of Vienna. The plant has long been valued in our latitudes as an ornamental and aromatic plant.
Origin at a glance:
growth
The frangipani grows as a large shrub with a stately, sprawling habit. Other Plumeria species also develop into large, thick-stemmed trees. The frangipani species can reach about 7 meters in height and 5 meters in width in their home range. In this country in the room culture, however, it is usually over after a maximum of 3 meters.
The richly branched branches have a fleshy, succulent consistency, about 2 to 3 centimeters thick. All parts of the plant contain a poisonous milky sap.
Growth characteristics in brief:
leaves
The leaves of the frangipani are alternate and usually clustered at the ends of the shoots. They have an elliptical to oblanceolate shape and reach a length of 20 to 40 centimeters with a maximum width of 15 centimeters. Their color is a rich dark green. The pronounced, neat veining and the prominent midrib give the leaves a stringent appearance.
Sheet properties in keywords:
blossoms
The flowers of the frangipani have long provided perfumery with a popular raw material. The Fragrant Frangipani contains fragrances that are characterized by a creamy delicacy, a gardenia-like floweriness and a slightly fruity, peach-like nuance. The frangipani scent is used in colognes, especially in combination with other exotic scents such as coconut.
But the visual appearance of the frangipani flowers is also extremely attractive. The sharply contoured shape of their 5 pointed, bowl-like petals and their waxy consistency give them a very elegant, exotic character. The magnificent coloring also makes the flower very decorative: there are varieties in bright pink to red or yellow or yellow-cream-white variants.
The petals are fused together in a funnel shape, so that the flowers present themselves like a noble calyx.
Flower properties at a glance:
heyday
The frangipani shows its beautiful flowers throughout the summer, approximately between June and September.
fruit
The flowers form two follicles each, which contain many seeds.
Which location is suitable?
In the chapter on location, we again refer to the most cultivated frangipani species in this country, which come from tropical areas. Of course, their original habitat already determines their required environmental requirements: like all tropical plants, they need warmth, brightness and high humidity all year round. It thrives best in a room or greenhouse at around 20°C.
Unlike other indoor plants from the tropics, however, the frangipani has nothing against direct sunlight. On the contrary, she is a true sun worshiper and wants around 6 hours of sun a day.
However, you must maintain the highest possible humidity.
In winter, the frangipani is forced to take a break due to the dwindling supply of light. It can then also stand a little cooler, but the temperature should not fall below 12°C.
What soil does the plant need?
As a substrate, the frangipani needs a moderately nutrient-rich soil with a good drainage layer in the form of sand or expanded clay.(19.73€) Because it is quite sensitive to waterlogging. The pH value should be in the rather high range.
Continue reading
water plumeria
When watering, you should proceed relatively cautiously. The frangipani is quite thirsty and needs a lot of watering, especially in summer. However, as already mentioned, it is sensitive to waterlogging. So always make sure that the substrate is well dried before each watering and that the root ball is never permanently in the water. An extremely regular watering practice is therefore necessary here - not for people who are rarely at home.
During the hibernation, however, you should water significantly less so that the plant sprouts properly in spring and forms buds.
Watering rules in keywords:
Fertilize plumeria properly
Depending on the average nutrient requirement, the frangipani can be regularly supplied with additional food throughout the main vegetation phase. A simple, universal liquid fertilizer is suitable for this, which you add to the irrigation water every 2 weeks. However, the dose should be at most half concentrated.
Cut plumeria properly
Depending on how much space you want to give the frangipani or can make available, it can either be cultivated freely or restricted in shape and size. However, it naturally develops a very shapely, albeit spreading crown - so if you have space, you should give it space. The interfaces also offer fungi a breeding ground for colonization.
Otherwise, you can also regularly cut back without any problems, preferably in early spring. Longer, disturbing shoots can easily be shortened and given the desired shape. The plant then immediately branches again at the interfaces.
Cutting rules in brief:
hibernate
The inevitable fading of light in autumn requires a hibernation for the frangipani culture in our latitudes. This means that all other care measures must also be reduced in parallel with the reduced light supply. A slightly cooler ambient temperature makes sense, but it must not fall below around 12°C. You can do this by placing them in a greenhouse that is not too heated. The frangipani should not be deprived of the light it can get, even in the winter months. A glazed roof is therefore advisable.
You also reduce the watering quite a bit. Only give enough water so that the root ball never dries out completely.
Don't be alarmed: the Plumeria loses its leaves during the winter break. This is normal in view of the lack of light and the vegetation that has generally died down as a result. As soon as it gets lighter again in spring, the plant sprouts freshly without further ado.
propagate plumeria
The frangipani is best propagated by cuttings or seed sowing.
cuttings
With this method, you cut off a shoot about 20 cm long from the upper crown of the bush, which if possible has not yet attached any leaves. In order to stop the escaping flow of milky juice, drying or scorching the interface makes sense. Put the cutting in a planter with potting soil and a good proportion of sand. The cuttings take root best when the ambient temperature is warm, around 25°C, and the soil is kept evenly moist. However, you should not pull it under foil.
You can also try, after the cut of the cutting has dried well, to root it in a glass of water.
seed cultivation
You can also grow a new frangipani from seeds you have collected yourself or bought. However, there is no guarantee that you will also receive a daughter plant of the same variety and color. The seeds are germinated in potting soil at a soil temperature of 20 to 25°C and kept evenly moist. When they are 5-10 centimeters in size, the young plants can be repotted and cultivated in a species-appropriate manner.
Diseases
Luckily, the frangipani rarely gets sick - care mistakes that have to do with the water supply can affect it. This includes above all waterlogging, which can lead to root rot, and insufficient humidity. The latter attracts the usual drought-loving parasites like spider mites and mealybugs.
pests
Spider mites and mealybugs are the most common nuisances that haunt moisture-loving tropical plants in heated rooms. Sufficient humidity is not easy to maintain in living spaces. Cultivation of the frangipani in the conservatory is therefore recommended not only for reasons of light.
spider mites
You can easily recognize these pests by the fine webs they pull around the leaf axils and branches of their host plants. Especially if they are of a red or yellowish variety, you can see the mites with the naked eye.
Spider mites are quite easy to combat by tackling them with water: first by wiping them off with a damp cloth and then spraying the plant thoroughly with the disperser and wrapping it in foil. In this humid, air-poor climate, the mites die within a week.
Mealybug
Mealybugs also give themselves away by a clearly visible secretion on the host plant: when sucking on the leaves, they secrete woolly balls, from which they also get their name. Mealybugs should first be removed mechanically by wiping them with a wet cloth. Then apply a spray treatment with a mixture of water, alcohol and curd soap. (Ratio: 1l - 15ml - 15ml)
Is plumeria poisonous?
A member of the dogbane family, frangipani and all other plumeria species are poisonous - they contain a milky sap with toxic saponins in the branches and leaves. Therefore, it is not necessarily suitable for households with small children and curious pets. It is also best to wear gloves when cutting the plumeria.
sorts
Within the frangipani species, especially the red frangipani, there are several different cultivars available in the plant trade, which differ from each other mainly in the color of the flowers. Sometimes a little growing.
Plumeria rubra Divine
This variety of red frangipani impresses with its particularly pretty and numerous flowers. The waxy, artistic formations appear in a wonderfully exotic play of colors in the summer months: their heart presents itself in a warm yellow-orange, which fades into clear white on the outside and finally into fresh pink at the edges of the petals. The scent of P.r. Divine is beguilingly flowery and fruity.
In terms of growth, the variety is quite compact due to its intensive branching and is therefore also suitable for fans of exotic plants who have less space available. It should be located in a sunny place, a conservatory with good humidity is ideal.
Plumeria rubra Gina
The flowers of this variety stand out against the mid-green foliage in summer, a scarlet pink with rose-red and yellowish-white margins. They appear a bit more flat than the flowers of the P. r. Divine. Their scent is also very intense.
In terms of growth, it develops quite broadly, but still with compact, richly branched shrubs. It grows to a height of about 2-3 m.
Plumeria rubra Inca Gold
The cultivar designation of this variant already suggests the color of the flowers: From June onwards they indeed shine in a rich golden yellow with delicate light yellow edges and thus exude a warm, southern flair. Her scent is sweet and slightly spicy. In a sunny, warm location, the P. r. Inca Gold is also extremely willing to flower.
Its growth is bushy and richly branched, it reaches a height of around 2.50 m.
Plumeria rubra Dulcemia
If you are a fan of strong red tones, we recommend this variant: the variety flowers in intense red the more sun it gets. When there is less light, the flower color remains paler, more in the pink to pastel pink range. Its scent is delicately fruity.
The P.r. Dulcemia grows bushy and reaches a height of about 2.50 meters.