Plumeria obtusa (Singapore Graveyard Flower)

Scientific Name

Plumeria obtusa L.

Common Names

Singapore Graveyard Flower, Singapore Plumeria, Singapore Frangipani, Great Frangipanni, Chempaka, Lei Flower, White Plumeria

Synonyms

Plumeria barahonensis, Plumeria jamaicensis

Scientific Classification

Family: Apocynaceae
Subfamily: Rauvolfioideae
Tribe: Plumerieae
Genus: Plumeria

Flower

Color: White with a small, brilliant yellow center
Bloom Time: May to October

Description

Plumeria obtusa is a small shrub or tree with thick, widely spaced, fleshy branches. It grows up to 20 feet (6 m) tall. Leaves are found in clusters near the tips of the branches. They are large, dark green, glossy, with obtuse tips. Flowers are fragrant, 5-petaled, and white with a small yellow center, borne in clusters at the ends of the branches on a long thick stalk.

Hardiness

USDA hardiness zone 10a to 11b: from 30 °F (−1.1 °C) to 50 °F (+10 °C).

How to Grow and Care

Although you don't have to live in the tropics to grow Plumeria in the home garden, you should know its growing requirements beforehand.

Often grown in the garden as an ornamental shrub or small tree, Plumeria plants need to be grown in well-draining, slightly acidic soil. They also need at least six hours of full sun.

While the plants are fairly tolerant of salt and windy conditions, they're not tolerant of cold and must be protected. Therefore, they should be container grown in colder regions. In areas that may be warm most of the time but still fairly prone to cold winters, the plant can be dug up and overwintered indoors. Alternatively, you can sink container-grown Plumerias in the ground, bringing them indoors once the temperatures begin to drop in fall. Once warmer temps return in spring, you can return the plants back outdoors.

When growing Plumeria plants in pots, use a coarse, well-draining potting mix—cactus mix or perlite and sand should be fine. See more at How to Grow and Care for Plumeria.

Origin

Native to the Bahamas and the Greater Antilles in Central America.

Links

• Back to genus Plumeria
• Plantopedia: Browse flowering plants by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, or Origin

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