Plant, repot frangipani & multiply

The plumeria with its colorful blossoms is not only a great place to admire on vacation, but it can also be kept as a houseplant.

The right location is the be-all and end-all for the frangipani. With proper care, it can then develop magnificently and you can even cut cuttings for propagation. You can find out how to do this and what types of temple tree there are here.

Frangipani: flower and properties

Plumeria is a plant of the genus Plumeria from the dogbane family (Apocynaceae). You can find frangipanis throughout Central and South America, both in the tropical and subtropical areas and also on the West Indies. With its calyx-shaped blossoms in all imaginable colours, the Plumeria is not only visually appealing. She also emits a fruity-sweet scent that is no less impressive. Due to the typical frangipani flowers that can be admired between June and September, it is also extremely popular as a houseplant. The buds have a waxy appearance and appear minimalist as the stamens and stigma are not visible. On its up to 3 cm thick stalk there are tough leaves with clear leaf veins, which usually occur in heaps at the tips of the shoots. The stalk contains a poisonous milky sap. Depending on the variety, it can grow more as a compact shrub, but in its homeland it can also grow as a sprawling tree of up to eight meters in height. However, frangipani as indoor plants usually do not grow more than three meters. In Asia, the frangipani symbolizes immortality and is therefore often planted in temples, which is probably where the name temple tree comes from.

The most beautiful Plumeria types and varieties

The Plumeria species are divided into evergreen and deciduous species. The genus includes up to 20 species. Here we present some Frangipani varieties that can also be kept in our latitudes.

Evergreen Frangipani

• Scented Frangipani (Plumeria obtusa 'Singapore White'): Up to 10 cm large, white-yellow flowers
• Plumeria pudica 'Bridal Bouquet': White-yellow flowers and large, violin-shaped flowers Leaves

Deciduous frangipani:

• Red Frangipani (Plumeria rubra): Available in numerous varieties and especially as a houseplant popular
• Plumeria rubra ('Heart Desire'): Flower color gradient from orange to pink
• Plumeria rubra 'Elsie': Flowers in bright pink
• Plumeria rubra 'Golden Noi': Yellow petals with orange-red markings
• Plumeria rubra 'Khao Bali': Compact, dwarf form of about 70 cm in height , white flowers with a yellow center
• West Indian Franipani (Plumeria alba): Often used with white flowering varieties of Plumeria rubra confused, but less common as a houseplant

Frangipani as a houseplant: location and soil

Plants from the tropics and subtropics love the sun. Therefore, the frangipani should be in a location that offers plenty of daylight. Partial shade or even shade are unsuitable. It also needs the high humidity typical of the tropics. This can be achieved, for example, by regularly spraying with a water atomizer. A heated greenhouse is therefore the ideal place for the frangipani, but a conservatory or a south-facing window is also suitable. In summer, the Plumeria should be placed outside in the sun. As soon as the temperatures drop below 18 °C on average again, it is better to bring her back into the warm house.

Tip: Especially in winter, the heated air in the apartment is very dry. Place bowls of water on the heater to increase humidity.

The substrate should be well drained and moderately nutritious. There should be no waterlogging in the soil. It is best to choose a high-quality potting soil, such as our Plantura organic potting soil, as a basis and mix in at least a third of sand, perlite or broken expanded clay. This improves the aeration of our structurally stable earthadditionally. A drainage layer of pebbles or potsherds under the substrate prevents waterlogging, which is particularly important for the frangipani.

Diseases and Pests

The frangipani rarely suffers from diseases or pests. If it does happen, care errors are usually the cause. Appropriate frangipani care is therefore particularly important.

• Root rot: Occurs due to waterlogging, i.e. when irrigation water cannot drain off. Repot the Plumeria in fresh soil, lay a drainage layer and water slightly less. Make sure that no water collects in the coaster.
• Spider mites: Usually appear when the air is too dry. If the frangipani has been infested with spider mites, wipe them off the plant with a damp cloth. Spray the frangipani regularly with water to increase humidity, or place a bowl of water on the heater.
• Scale insects: They can be recognized by their brown shell and are usually located in the leaf axils. It is best to rinse off the scale insects in the shower. A sticky honeydew is also secreted which adheres to the leaves and indicates an infestation.
• Mealybugs: Mealybugs also secrete honeydew. However, the animals themselves are white and usually have thread-like appendages on their bodies. They too should be wiped clean. A biological plant protection product based on neem oil such as our Plantura organic pest-free neem can be used against both scale insects and mealybugs. Due to the partial systemic spread of the active ingredient azadirachtin, combating plant lice is very easy.

Frangipani not blooming: what to do?

There can be several reasons for a lack of flowering. Here, too, maintenance errors are usually the problem.

• Fertilized too much: If the frangipani was fertilized too often, in too high a dose or with the wrong nutrients, it sometimes reacts to the oversupply of nutrients by not flowering. This happens especially when there is too much nitrogen and too little phosphorus.
• Incorrectly overwintered: Incorrect overwintering can also lead to no flowers being formed. During hibernation, varieties of the species Plumeria rubra should hardly be watered or fertilized at all. Evergreen species are rarewatered.
• Young plant: Especially if the frangipani was grown from seed, it takes a few years before the first flowers appear. Patience is required here.

Frangipani Losing Leaves

Your frangipani is losing leaves and you're worried you've done something wrong? It doesn't have to be. As mentioned above, there are both evergreen and deciduous species. So if your frangipani is a deciduous species and the plant sheds its leaves in the fall and winter, then everything is going quite normally. In the case of evergreen species or leaf loss in spring or summer, however, the cause could be a care error:

• Watered too much: Reduce the watering amount.
• Wrong location: Find a bright, warm and humid place for the Plumeria.
• Frequent change of location: The frangipani is reluctant to change its location and should only be repotted every 3 - 5 years, otherwise the plant will quickly suffer from stress.

Propagating frangipani: via cuttings or seeds

Whether cuttings or seeds, both methods are suitable for propagating the frangipani. Be sure to wear gloves when propagating because of the toxic milky sap. In order for fruits with seeds to form at all, the Plumeria must be pollinated. With the insects that live with us, this is not easy with this tropical houseplant. It's best to get frangipani seeds from a specialist store.

Tip: You can also pollinate the frangipani yourself. To get to the deep-seated pollen, cut open the flower close to the base with a sharp knife and apply the pollen to the pistil with a brush.

Propagation by seeds:

• Sowing takes place in spring or summer.
• Use a special growing substrate, such as our Plantura Organic Herb & Sowing Soil. The low nutrient supply promotes root growth and thus produces strong and resilient plants. Mix in a third more sand to improve permeability.
• Distribute the seeds on the substrate so that the seed wings are still visible and the seed is only lightly covered with soil.
• Moisten the soil slightlyand place the pot in a warm and bright place at at least 20 °C, 24 °C is better.
• Put a glass bell over the pot or cover everything with cling film to ensure high humidity. The cover should be ventilated once a day to avoid mold.
• After two to three weeks you can see the first cotyledons. As soon as a few more leaves have appeared, you can repot the young frangipani plants and water them more generously.

Tip: In our part of the world it can take up to eight years for a frangipani grown from seed to flower for the first time.

Propagation via cuttings:

• Take cuttings between May and August
• Remove shoot cuttings in the gray area and never in the green area
• The cutting should be about 25 cm long and 2 cm thick
• The interface should be woody and hard to the touch
• All leaves except the top ones are cut off
• After cutting, the poisonous milky sap comes out, store the shoot in a cool and dark place for several days to bleed out
• The cuttings are now placed in the potting soil described above
• The temperature should be 21 °C, the humidity around 90% and there should be plenty of daylight

Is the temple tree poisonous?

Due to the milky juice it contains, Plumeria is poisonous. Gloves should be worn, especially when cutting.

You can get even more color and tropical flair with bromeliads. You can find out how to plant and care for these exotic indoor plants with us.