These plants are valued for their delicate fragrant flower clustersyou may recognize them from Hawaiian leis.
The five-petaled flowers are waxyand highly fragrant.
The tropical plants prefer full to partial sun, well-draining soil, and high humidity.
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Place plumeria upright in the hole.
After backfilling the planting hole, tamp down the soil and water deeply.
The best time to transplant plumeria is in spring.
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Avoid locations with soggy soil, as it can cause root rot.
Thesoil pHshould be between 6.5 and 7.0.
However, the watering needs to be increased with exposure to direct sunlight.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Water deeply and then let the soil dry out before watering again.
Do not water outdoor plumeria in the landscape during its winter dormancy.
Indoor plumeria that are dormant only need infrequent watering, as little as every two weeks.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Water just enough so that the soil ever fully dries out.
Use amoisture meterto guide you if you are unsure.
The plants do not tolerate frost.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Give it abloom-boosting high-phosphorus fertilizerat the beginning of the growing season.
Avoid fertilizers high in nitrogen, as this will produce more foliage than flowers.
Types of Plumeria
Plumeria comes in a wide range of varieties and flower colors.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Plumeria typically only branches out after an injury (i.e.
pruning) or after flowering.
Propagating Plumeria
Plumeria is fairly easy topropagate from stem cuttings.
Plumeria rubraThe Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
This is best done in the spring.
verify it has large drainage holes.
Fill it with well-draining potting mix.
Plumeria pudicaThe Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Repotting to a larger pot is only needed every few yearswhen the plant has visibly outgrown its pot.
However, it benefits from the addition of a fresh growing medium every year.
Using a trowel, carefully remove the top few inches of soil and replace with nutrient-rich compost.
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To let it enter dormancy indoors move it to a cool room and water it sparingly.
Gradually acclimate the plant to the outdoors the following spring.
Use insecticidal soap to control them before it turns into an infestation.
Tip of a plumeria branchJobrestful / Getty Images
Potential fungal diseases include plumeria rust, black tip fungus, and leaf spot.
How to Get Plumeria to Bloom
Plumeria blooms between May and November.
The number of flowers per cluster varies greatly between the cultivars.
Some plumerias produce as many as 200 flowers while others barely reach 50.
Deadhead the spent flowers to encourage more flowering and prevent seedpod production.
Carefully remove affected branches and, if the problem persists, apply an organic anti-fungicide for houseplants.
Yellowing Leaves
In most cases, the culprit for yellowing leaves is overwatering.
If its a potted plant, also check the drainage and repot the plant if necessary.
Insufficient drainage of landscape plants is trickier to remedy.
It is a slow-growing plant, so it only requires minimal maintenance.
Outside its hardiness range (USDA zones 10-11), many gardeners successfully grow plumeria in pots.
There are a few specifics to keep in mind for container-grown plumeria.
The time window of the plumeria bloom is quite broad.
Plumeria blooms in the warm season, any time between May and November.
University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension.
