Scientific Name
Plumeria rubra L.
Common Name(s)
Frangipani, Red Paucipan, Red Jasmine, Red Frangipani, Common Frangipani, Temple Tree, Plumeria
Synonym(s)
Plumeria rubra f. rubra, Plumeria acuminata, Plumeria acutifolia, Plumeria angustifolia, Plumeria arborea, Plumeria arborescens, Plumeria aurantia, Plumeria aurantiaca, Plumeria bicolor, Plumeria blandfordiana, Plumeria carinata, Plumeria conspicua, Plumeria gouanii, Plumeria incarnata, Plumeria jamesonii, Plumeria kerrii, Plumeria kunthiana, Plumeria lambertiana, Plumeria loranthifolia, Plumeria lutea, Plumeria macrophylla, Plumeria megaphylla, Plumeria mexicana, Plumeria milleri, Plumeria mollis, Plumeria northiana, Plumeria purpurea, Plumeria tenuifolia, Plumeria tricolor
Scientific Classification
Family: Apocynaceae
Subfamily: Rauvolfioideae
Tribe: Plumerieae
Genus: Plumeria
Origin
Plumeria rubra is native to Mexico, Central America, Colombia, and Venezuela.
Flower
Color: Pink, white and yellow
Bloom Time: Summer and autumn
Description
Plumeria rubra is a delightful small tree for a garden with a semi-tropical look. It grows as a spreading tree up to 26 feet (8 m) tall and as wide as tall, flushed with fragrant flowers of shades of pink, white, and yellow over the summer and fall.
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 be aware of 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 both 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. Then, once warmer temps return in spring, you can return the plants 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.
Links
- Back to genus Plumeria
- Plantpedia: Browse flowering plants by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, or Origin
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