Plumeria: A flowering tropical tree stored indoors for the winter

Plumeria, known by the common name Frangipani, is a genus of eleven different species of shrubs and small trees native to Central and South America. These tropical plants produce fragrant spiral blooms in a variety of colors throughout much of the summer.  These blooms are typically used in Hawaii to make leis, the floral necklaces associated with the island. Leaf shape varies a bit by species, but generally they are roughly oval, longer than they are wide, and congregated mainly on the newest growth toward the tips of each branch.  Flowers are borne in terminal clusters at the end of stems, therefore poking out just above the foliage.  Flower color ranges from white to pink to red to orange to yellow, and various combinations of these colors.

Left: Terminal buds open over time, from a furled bud to a tubular flower with five petals (far right). Photos: Wisconsin Horticulture Extension Division.

Plumerias are not cold hardy, so they will not survive in areas where temperatures dip below freezing. While they may reach heights up to 20-25’ tall in temperate environments, their size in Eastern NC will be much less. Those who grow Plumeria around here most likely do so in pots, which they bring in during winter.  Here at the Pitt County Arboretum, we have one planted in the ground at the corner of our Perennial Garden, near an employee entrance to the Agricultural Center.  This plant is about 7-8’ tall, and each year at the beginning of November it is dug out of the ground, stripped of its leaves, and stored as a bare-root plant in the unheated garage of one of our volunteers.
 
Plumeria can be stored this way throughout most of winter with little to no attention. Once spring arrives and danger of frost is gone, we return it to the same spot in the garden where it grows throughout summer. Assuming your Plumeria is growing in a pot, you can bring it indoors and store in a similar way.  If you choose not to put in a garage or similar dark, cool location and instead keep it in a warm, lighted area indoors, it will need occasional water and may retain a small number of leaves. 

Plumeria blooms come in a variety of colors.

Above: Plumeria stick. Above right: Plumeria tree. Below right: Plumeria species or cultivars have different shaped and colored leaves.

Plumeria are quite easy to propagate by cuttings. If you’ve been to any of our Master Gardener plant sales, you’ve probably noticed a container filled with 12-18” long gray-green sticks and wondered what on earth they are. These Plumeria cuttings can be stuck in soil long after they were originally taken. Spring is an ideal time to root these cuttings. Plumeria stems will leak a milky sap immediately after being injured, thus when cuttings are taken, sap will leak from the cut end of the cutting.  Let these dry, give the cutting 10-14 days to callous over, and then the stem will be ready to be stuck in soil. It will root once temperatures are warm enough for the plant to resume active growth.   

I must acknowledge Gary Fenton, the retired former director of Greenville Parks and Recreation, for his donation of numerous Plumeria plants and cuttings to the Arboretum over the years, including a large recent donation of plant material. We use these donations for both propagation and beautification.  Gary has also been a valuable source of knowledge about caring for these plants and has shared his wisdom not only with us, but with many, many others.
 
Matthew Stevens is the County Extension Director and Horticulture Agent for North Carolina Cooperative Extension’s Pitt County Center.  If you have questions about this article or gardening in general, please contact the Pitt County Extension Master Gardeners at [email protected] or 252-902-1705.