Growing Plumeria: A Complete Care Guide

Plumeria Care

Here are the main care requirements for growing plumeria:

• Select a location with full sun and rich, well-draining soil.
• Once plumeria is established, give the plant about one inch of water per week in the absence of rain, more as needed. Water potted plants more frequently.
• Protect the plant from temperatures below 50 degrees.
• Fertilize potted plumeria once a month during the active growing season.

Planting

Dig a wide, saucer-shaped whole that is at least three times as large as the nursery container or root ball of the plant. Place plumeria upright in the hole. After backfilling the planting hole, tamp down the soil and water deeply.

Because plumeria has a shallow root system, it helps to place a couple of large rocks over the root zone to prevent the tree roots from getting dislodged by wind. The best time to transplant plumeria is in spring.

Light

These tropical flowers grow in full sun and partial shade but prosper in abundant sunshine for at least eight hours per day. 

Soil

Loamy, rich soil is ideal but plumeria adapts to a wide range of soil types as long as it drains well. Avoid locations with soggy soil, as it can cause root rot. The soil pH should be between 6.5 and 7.0. 

Water

The rule of thumb of about one inch of water per week also applies to established plumeria. However, the watering needs to be increased with exposure to direct sunlight.

In a location with full sun for most of the day, more water is needed than in a partially shaded location, so you might have to water in the absence of rain. 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. Water just enough so that the soil ever fully dries out. Use a moisture meter to guide you if you are unsure.

Temperature and Humidity

Plumeria is a tropical plant that thrives in hot, tropical climates with high humidity. The plants do not tolerate frost. If growing as a houseplant, keep plumeria in one of the more humid rooms of your house (like a bathroom or laundry room), or use a humidifier as needed.

Fertilizer

Established plumeria in the landscape do just fine without regular fertilization, unless the soil is poor. Give it a bloom-boosting high-phosphorus fertilizer at the beginning of the growing season. Avoid fertilizers high in nitrogen, as this will produce more foliage than flowers.

Potted plants should be fertilized with the same high-phosphorus fertilizer about once a month during the active growing season to make up for the nutrient loss from frequent watering.

Types of Plumeria 

Plumeria comes in a wide range of varieties and flower colors. Here is a selection of some popular ones: 

• P. rubra is highly popular for its intensely fragrant flowers. This species is native to dry, hot regions of Mexico, Central America, and Venezuela. It comes in many colors: white, cream, yellow, orange, pale and hot pink, and red. Plumeria rubra loses its leaves with the onset of cold weather. It grows 15 feet tall and wide.
• P. alba, the white plumeria, has flowers with a soft yellow center that fades to pure white near the tips of the flower. Also known as a white plumeria, West Indian Jasmine, or nosegay, it is native to Puerto Rico and the Lesser Antilles. The tree grows 15 to 25 feet tall and often forms an umbrella shape.
• P. obtusa is commonly known as Singapore plumeria or Singapore pink. It bears flowers in shades of pink and white. Its flower petals are rounder than those of P. rubra. The plants don’t grow quite as tall as other plumeria, topping out at 10 to 15 feet in height.
• P. pudica, sometimes referred to as Bridal Bouquet, is a heavily blooming, profusely branched tree with a mature size of 15 feet in height. It is native to Panama, Columbia, and Venezuela. The flowers are white or cream-colored with a yellow center. In warmer locations, the tree is an evergreen.

Pruning

There is little need for pruning plumeria, unless you are unhappy with its shape and want to train it as a tree with a single central trunk or a shorter, denser shrub. In late winter or early spring, remove all the lower branches near the trunk or cut all the branches back to around half of their length.

Plumeria typically only branches out after an injury (i.e. pruning) or after flowering. Be conservative when pruning, as the tips of the branches produce the tree’s flowers, and cutting too much reduces the bloom in the following year.

Propagating Plumeria

Plumeria is fairly easy to propagate from stem cuttings. This is best done in the spring. Here are the basic steps:

1. Find a spot with mature, gray bark and take a 12- to 18-inch tip cutting using clean, sharp pruners or secateurs. Cut at a 45-degree angle.
2. Strip the leaves from the cutting, leaving only those at the top.
3. Let the cutting dry at room temperature and away from the direct sunlight for about a week, or until the cut end is fully calloused over.
4. Moisten the cut end and dip it into rooting hormone powder. Shake off the excess powder.
5. Fill a 6-inch pot with good-quality, well-draining potting mix, or a mix of potting soil and cactus soil or pumice.
6. Insert the cutting 3 to 4 inches deep into the soil, and place the pot in a warm bright location away from direct sunlight.
7. Water deeply and allow the excess water to drain away, and keep the soil moist.
8. After the cutting has rooted (gently tug the cutting to check for resistance), place the pot in a sunny spot.

Potting and Repotting Plumeria

Plumeria has a shallow root system, which makes it an ideal plant for potting. Use a large, wide pot, which prevents the tree from becoming top-heavy and toppling over in windy conditions. Make sure it has large drainage holes. Fill it with well-draining potting mix.

Repotting to a larger pot is only needed every few years when 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.

Overwintering

If you are growing plumeria outside its hardiness range, bring it indoors when temperatures drop below 50 degrees. To let it enter dormancy indoors move it to a cool room and water it sparingly.

If you are overwintering your potted plumeria in a room where the temperature is above 65 or 70 degrees, the plant is unlikely to go dormant though it will drop some of its leaves. Gradually acclimate the plant to the outdoors the following spring.

Common Pests & Plant Diseases

Plumeria is not bothered by any serious pests and diseases, but it may get common greenhouse and houseplant pests such as white flies, mealybugs, and spider mites. Use insecticidal soap to control them before it turns into an infestation.

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 exact bloom time varies from species to species and the local climate, but the bloom may last two weeks or more, while individual flowers last for a day or two.

The number of flowers per cluster varies greatly between the cultivars. Some plumerias produce as many as 200 flowers while others barely reach 50.

Another variable is the number of branch tips that will grow flowers, in some plumerias, only one out of 10 branch tips have flowers whereas in others, there are six out of ten. Your best bet is to select a variety that is known to be a profuse bloomer.

Deadhead the spent flowers to encourage more flowering and prevent seedpod production.

Common Problems With Plumeria

Serious problems of plumeria are rare, however, keep an eye out for these signs:

Wrinkled, Spongy, or Soft Branches

In cool, wet weather or when the plant is overwatered, a fungus in the roots or branches can cause branches to deteriorate. 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. Cut down on the watering until the soil is completely dry and set the pot in an area that easily allows excess water to drain away. If it’s a potted plant, also check the drainage and repot the plant if necessary.

Insufficient drainage of landscape plants is trickier to remedy. If the problem persists after you cut down on watering, work some organic matter and perlite into the topsoil layer of the soil to improve drainage.