By Barbara Fahs, Garden Guides Contributor
About Plumeria
Also called frangipani, plumeria is a tropical to sub-tropical
shrub or small tree that produces delightfully scented flowers,
often used in leis. On many Pacific islands, women wear a plumeria
flower over their right ears if they are unmarried and hoping for a
relationship. Happily married women wear the flowers over their
left ears. The Apocynaceae genus includes only 7 or 8 species of
plumeria, which are native to the tropical parts of Central and
South America.
Site Preparation
Unless you live in a place that never gets frost, you'll want to
grow your plumeria in a pot that can be moved indoors during the
fall and winter months. For containers, use a coarse, well-draining
potting soil because plumerias do not care for "wet feet." Cactus
mix is a good choice.
Special Features
Plumerias are prized for their flowers, which range from white to
yellow to pink to red, with some varieties having beautiful
two-tone blossoms. The tree has odd, almost prehistoric-looking
branches with broad, leathery leaves. Some varieties are winter
deciduous, even in tropical locations. In Mexico, the ancient
Aztecs used plumeria flowers for many medicinal purposes and often
made them into a salve or lotion.
Choosing a Variety
Plumeria alba, or white plumeria, is the most fragrant and readily
available variety. If you live in Southern California, Florida or
Hawai'i, local nurseries usually carry a couple of varieties. In
cooler climates, you might need to order starter plants from a
specialty catalog. When you vacation in Hawai'i, you will find
plumeria cuttings for sale at the airports. These are easy to start
after you arrive home: just put them in potting soil with Perlite
added and keep them evenly moist.
Planting
For branch cuttings, measure and mark 4 inches from the bottom.
Fill a pot with equal amounts of potting soil and Perlite. Rooting
hormone helps the cutting to sprout: first dip your cutting into
water, and then into the powdered hormone. Insert the cutting into
your pot until the line you drew is even with the soil surface.
Fill the pot with pea gravel and then press it and firm it down.
Water it well and then put your pot in a warm, sunny spot.
Overwatering can cause the cutting to rot, so only add water about
once a week.
Care
After your cutting has a good root system, transplant it to a
larger pot or outdoors if you live in a warm climate zone. In the
spring, when new growth begins to emerge, feed with a high nitrogen
fertilizer. In May, switch to a high phosphorus fertilizer to
encourage blooming. Plumeria rarely need pruning, but if you do
prune, the fleshy branches can be rooted for additional plants.
