Plumeria or Frangipani are easy to care for. They are drought tolerant plants that grow best when planted in full sun. They do not like freezing temperatures, and must be protected when frost threatens. When planted in a tropical or sub-tropical garden, they will grow into small branching “trees”. I have seen them as tall as 15 feet in Central Florida. In cooler climes, they may be grown as a house plant and brought indoors when cold weather arrives, and will do fine in a sunny window. I’ve even heard of people keeping them in a dark garage or basement (where the temperature does not go below freezing, for the winter, which causes the plant to go dormant).
Plumeria come in a beautiful range of colors, white, pink, red and yellow.
In Hawaii, Plumeria flowers are used to make beautiful leis.
Plumeria are related to Oleander. Plumeria sap may irritate your skin, so it is a good idea to wear gloves, when trimming your plants.
New plants may be propagated from stem cuttings. We like to start with 6-10 inch cuttings, let the cut end heal for 3-4 days in a shady spot, any leaves on the cutting will fall off at this point, then place the cutting in a flower pot with soil. Do not water! leave the potted cutting in a shady spot, until new leaves develop, at this point, you may water your plant and move to a sunny location.
