Growing and Propagating Plumeria Frangipani

My love for Plumeria began during one of my trips to Hawaii when I worked for TWA. The beauty, color choices and fragrance of this unusual plant has made it a staple in my gardens.

Plumeria, also known as Frangipani is a deciduous plant native to New Zealand, Central America, Mexico and South America. Because of the beauty of this plant it is spread throughout the world tropical climates.

My Plumerias are planted in full sun with a sandy soil. In the early spring months new leaves start to emerge on this deciduous plant. The bloom cycle is dependent on the variety you plant. I have some varieties that start to bloom in early spring and others that might not start blooming until August.

Because I reside in a sub tropical climate, we might get a hard freeze in the winter. We got a cold snap last winter and because my Plumeria are in tree form planted in the ground there was no way that I could protect them from a hard freeze. I went out one day and took numerous cuttings and put them in the garage until spring arrived.

I do not recommend to wait so long to plant Plumeria cuttings but if you have to wait for a few months they will survive. Make sure that you let your cuttings harden off for a few days before starting to root them. 

I finally planted all the cuttings yesterday when I saw two cuttings with bloom heads starting to open which made me feel extremely guilty that they were blooming in a soil less environment.

I use a mixture of potting soil amended with perlite and sand. I dip each cutting in rooting hormone before I plant it in the pot. When I am finished I cover each pot with pea gravel or lava rock.

I only water the Plumeria once after I have planted them. I will not water them again until I see new growth. One of the most common mistakes with Plumeria is over watering. That's one of the reasons I use so much sand and perlite in the potting mixture so they dry out between watterings.

 I have placed the cuttings in a shady area and after a few days I will keep moving them more and more into the sunlight until they are out in full sun.

If your looking for an easy plant to grow that will reward you with beautiful fragrant flowers you can't go wrong with Plumeria.