Plumerias or frangipani are beautiful plants native to warm tropical areas around the world, and they have been further introduced into most tropical areas where they were not found naturally. In fact, they are best known in Hawaii, where they grow so abundantly that many people think that they are natives, and where they are used to make the characteristic flower garlands called leis.
Plumerias can be grown in containers on the patio or in the greenhouse, but they can grow outdoors in temperate areas of the United States. Here in central Florida, where I live, plumerias can be planted in the ground, and they thrive. When temperatures reach freezing, they may be stored in containers or dug up to winter inside.
As soon as outdoor temperatures rise, you can take your plumerias out and replant them. They will resume growth with no problems. I have a friend whose yard is filled with plumerias. I have called his plants “walking frangipangi” because he pulls them up (no, he does not dig them up) and moves them around so often. Despite being such exotic beauties, plumeria plants seem to be quite hardy, growing in my friend’s yard in full sun, in shade, in pots, and in the ground.
Like the oleanders, to which they are related, plumerias are dangerous beauties with poisonous sap, so take proper precautions with children and pets. Plumeria flowers are most fragrant at night in order to lure sphinx moths to pollinate them.
You can easily propagate plumerias by taking a stem cutting; cut a leafless stem tip in the spring. Books and websites typically say to let these cuttings dry a few days before inserting them into soil. My plumeria-grower friend, however, tells me that he soaks his cuttings in water for a few days before inserting them into the soil. I suppose the lesson is that plumerias are not as fussy as we may want them to be.
Plumerias will bloom for months at a time, and while they are blooming, you will think that you have an inexhaustible flower factory. Once picked, a flower can last for several days if kept in water, and it does not seem to lose any of its scent.
To plant plumerias in a container, use a coarse, well draining mix. Insert the cut end down into the potting mix about 2 inches. Tap down the soil, and water well, and let the soil dry out between waterings. Stop watering the plant drops its leaves, when the plant has gone dormant. Resume watering in the spring after you see new leaves. Plumerias prefer a high nitrogen fertilizer, from spring through late summer.
One of the most appealing characteristics of plumeria plants is that, since the stem cuttings root so easily, they are easily shared. If you find a friend with plumerias of a different color, you can soon increase the range of colors that you have.
