Caring for Hawaiian Plumeria
Plumeria plants, also known as Frangipani, are small tropical trees that produce beautiful and highly fragrant flowers used to craft traditional Hawaiian leis. They’re native to Hawaii, but that doesn’t mean mainlanders can’t grow them as small ornamental trees or shrubs. Caring for them is fairly easy, as long as growers familiarize themselves with the plant’s ideal conditions.
Ideal Conditions
Plumerias like well-draining, slightly acidic soil, and full sun. They’re tolerant of salt and wind, but do not grow well in the cold. Since plumeria trees don’t grow exceptionally tall or large, container planting can be a suitable solution for growers in colder regions. Just make sure to use a coarse, well-draining potting mix. Perlite and sand or a cactus mix can both be good solutions.
How to Care for Plumeria Plants
How do you take care of a Hawaiian plumeria plant? That’s the first question that novice horticulturists ask when they consider planting Frangipanis. Thankfully, with the right growing conditions, their care requirements are minimal so it doesn’t take a serious green thumb to grow plumerias.
Watering Schedules
Plumerias are susceptible to root rot, which means they must be planted in well-draining soil. That being said, they also prefer to be watered deeply and allowed to dry out between irrigation sessions. Growers will also need to reduce their watering in the fall and stop watering the trees entirely when they go dormant for the winter.
When grown indoors in warm environments, the trees may not go dormant and may be able to benefit from year-round irrigation. Otherwise, just resume watering as usual when new growth begins to appear in the spring.
Applying Fertilizer
Home horticulturists should fertilize their Frangipani plants every two or three weeks during the active growing season. Plumeria trees have unique nutritional needs. While most trees require a nitrogen-heavy diet during their vegetative stages, plumerias can benefit from higher phosphorus levels throughout the growing season to encourage more vibrant and prolific blooms. Too much nitrogen will result in excess foliage growth and decreased flowers, so stick with a high-phosphate formula with a 10-30-30 NPK ratio.
Dealing with Pests and Diseases
Frangipanis are known for being hardy plants, but that doesn’t make them completely immune to pests and diseases. Rust fungi often appear in late summer and autumn, so pay attention during this time of the year. Growers should look out for yellow pustules on the leaves, which indicate the presence of this common fungal disease. Affected leaves will also experience surface discoloration.
All growers need to do to protect their plumeria trees against rust is spray them with fungicides when they see signs of fungal growth. It’s also important to collect and dispose of fallen leaves affected by the disease. Growers can also apply copper fungicides or lime sulfur in the winter, which can slow the disease progression.
Winter Care
Taken December 2020
“Aloha from Cape Cod!
Thank you very much for talking to me, so kind, and I learned so much! These are my 6 month- 1 year old plumerias, they are watered once a week and have a grow light on them and are usually kept around 70 degrees (or hotter in the summer)...I love them, they truly bring joy to me. Thank you for doing what you do, so people like me can have their dream plants. ”
Since Hawaiian plumerias are not cold-hardy plants, growers who don’t live in tropical climates will need to protect them in the winter. How do you take care of a plumeria in the winter? The easiest way to do it is to plant the trees in containers and bring them indoors when the temperatures start to drop. Growers who live in milder climates can plant their trees in the ground and leave them outside, but they should expect the plumerias to go dormant from November to mid-spring.
Caring for Outdoor Frangipanis
Live in a relatively mild climate and want to leave the Frangipani trees in the ground? Expect the leaves to turn yellow and fall off in November. It’s perfectly normal for plumerias to enter a period of dormancy when the temperatures turn from cool to cold, so don’t be alarmed. The trees will simply store their energy until spring, when they will start to produce new foliage and flowers.
Here are a few ways to support the trees through this natural period of dormancy:
- Cut back watering them until new growth appears in the spring.
- Don’t fertilize dormant trees.
- Prune the plumerias in the winter after they have defoliated.
- Spray with fungicides or insecticides if needed for pest control.
Easy, right?
Caring for Indoor Frangipanis
Frangipanis grown in pots indoors or brought inside in the winter may not defoliate at all. With the right climate conditions and at least six hours of sunlight per day, they can retain their leaves like evergreens. Just make sure to re-pot the plants into larger containers as needed while they grow.
Where to Plant Plumerias
Plumerias look beautiful almost anywhere. Growers with tropical to sub-tropical climates can put them outside in the ground without expecting any trouble with winter freezes. The most important practical concerns regarding placement are sufficient sun, soil drainage, adequate soil drainage, and wind protection.
Why the wind protection? Frangipanis tend to become top-heavy as their crowns develop. If they’re planted in containers, they can wind up toppling over in heavy winds. When grown in shallow soils, fully mature plumerias without adequate wind protection can even become uprooted. This is especially problematic when heavy gusts occur during the active growing season, as the Frangipani’s leaves can act as a sail and catch the wind.
The best way to avoid problems with wind damage is to prepare the site well before planting the trees. Make sure the water table is low, the soil is well-draining and healthy, and there are no large rocks in the area that could disturb normal root growth.
The Perfect Complement to Any Landscape
Growers should now have an idea of what conditions are required to facilitate optimal growth. The question remains, though: Where should I plant my plumeria? There’s no one right answer to this question. For growers in mild, tropical climates, plumerias form a perfect complement to just about any landscape. They can be planted behind low-growing flower beds, at the edges of properties to form a beautiful, natural fence, or even on road medians.
Growers who live in cooler climes may be able to take advantage of beneficial microclimates. Frangipani trees planted on the south-facing sides of a home, for example, may be able to soak in enough extra sun and take advantage of whatever heat leaks out of the home to make it through winters that would otherwise be too harsh. Planting plumerias near large ponds or lakes can also help them weather slightly colder winter temperatures, although growers who take this approach should still expect the leaves to drop every fall.
Indoor-Outdoor Plants
Know the area gets too cold to support year-round growth, but still want to use plumerias to brighten up the landscape? It’s best to plant them in pots instead of in the ground. While these trees are not especially prone to transplant shock and can be dug out of the ground at the end of each active growing season, that creates an unnecessary amount of work for gardeners. It also increases the chances of something going wrong during the transplanting process.
It’s best to keep plumerias that must be brought in during the coldest months of the year in pots year-round. In areas prone to heavy winds, gardeners may want to dig holes in the ground to accommodate the pots. It creates a little extra work but is much less likely to damage the trees than transplanting them twice a year.
When it comes time to move the pots outside, choose a location that gets plenty of sun. These trees can tolerate partial shade as long as they get six hours or more of sun per day, but they’ll thrive in full sun.
Plumeria Blooming Season
When does plumeria bloom? As with most other questions regarding this plant’s growth patterns, the answer varies based on climate. In tropical climates, Frangipani trees can produce beautiful, vibrant white, pink, red, and yellow blooms year-round. In cooler climates, they flower throughout the active growing season, usually April through November.
Patience Is Key When Planting Seedlings
Keep in mind that like most trees, plumerias won’t flower until they are established. It usually takes around three years for plumerias to grow from seedlings into trees mature enough to form vibrant blooms. Until then, just care for the tree as usual and look forward to a future of fragrant flowers.
Effects of Pruning
The best time to prune plumerias is in the winter while they are dormant, but dead or diseased branches can be removed at any time. Just keep in mind that pruned branches on young trees may experience delays in blooming. Mature, well-established trees won’t experience reductions in blossom production following gentle pruning sessions.
What to Do If the Tree Won’t Bloom
If the tree is already three or more years old and still hasn’t produced a single flower, environmental conditions are the most likely culprit. Start by moving it to someplace with more sunlight. If that doesn’t work, increase the fertilization schedule or switch to a mix with more phosphorus. Plumerias also need micronutrients like boron, calcium, copper, magnesium, and sulfur to produce healthy flowers, so growers may need to use additional soil amendments.
Plant a Plumeria This Spring
Plumerias are propagated by seed or cuttings in the spring. Just make sure to start with healthy plants or seeds sourced from a reputable nursery or seed bank to maximize the chances of success.
