NUMBER OF CROWNS (Frangipani Rubras)

What's a crown?
A frangipani crown can be defined as the end point or the tip of a branch where flower buds appear and the area where the frangipani produces new green growth.

Why is the number of crowns shown with each
frangipani tree's photo and description?
Generally speaking, the higher the number of active crowns on a  frangipani, the better.

Why is a high number of crowns on a
frangipani tree more desirable?
1-Like some other plant species, frangipanis produce flower buds on their crowns. The higher the number of crowns, the greater the chances of seeing more frangipani flowers. Everyone loves the scent of frangipani flowers so this is a desirable factor.
2-While stems and branches slowly thicken, frangipanis produce new growth at their crowns. A frangipani with many crowns will produce new growth in many directions.
3-Assuming half of the branches fork in a year, a frangipani with many crowns will increase its number of crowns at a faster rate. This will create a nicer shape with a wider and thicker canopy.  

How is the number of branches on each frangipani tree counted?
Since frangipani stems (or frangipani tree trunks) fork and then fork again and again, counting branches or forks can be complicated.
After getting a crown count (see above), we ignore recent forks and small tips (less than 5 cms long) to get a branch count. For example, if a branch has several tips which are all less than 5cms long, we count it as ONE branch. 

Why are there two numbers displayed for the number of crowns?
The larger number (right side?) is the total number of active crowns, which includes new crowns on small forked branches. The smaller number (left side?) is the number of branches (See above question).
For example, "10-15 crowns" means there are 15 active crowns altogether. We notice that 5 of the crowns are around 5cms or shorter. 15-5=10. Consider the left number (10) as an indication of the number of branches.

When are forks and crowns good?
Most frangipani species fork naturally at the tips of the crowns and only after a flower bud has formed on the crown. Naturally formed forks look much better and more attractive than other unnatural forks. A frangipani rubra with all natural forks and a high number of branches and crowns is likely to have good width, be well balance and grow into an even more attractively shaped tree. Most of the forks on our frangipani rubras (90%) have formed naturally. Natural forks are both attractive and increase the number of crowns.
Frangipani pudicas and frangipani stenophyllas can grow branches from the stem and from other branches. These species can quickly grow to fill out and to make the most of the sunlight. The number of crowns is not an important indicator of a healthy nicely shaped frangipani tree.

Is it good or bad when a frangipani branch forks
in an unnatural way?
A crown can be damaged by human carelessness, certain types of fungus and some insects. The frangipani often produces new shoots from the side of the crown. This can result in the frangipani getting more crowns and branches sooner (good) but the original crown usually turns into a scar. (bad)
A similar effect occurs when a branch is cut off or broken off. Since a cut off branch leaves less of a scar than a broken off branch, when a branch breaks off, it is better to to use secateurs or a handsaw to make a clean cut straight away.

Frangipani obtusas are more sensitive to the cold and to black tip fungus. In cold shady conditions frangipani obtusa crowns can be damaged easily. If an obtusa has many crowns, it may indicate that it will have many branches in the near future but it may also indicate many crowns have been damaged in the past. 


HEIGHT MEASUREMENTS

How are your frangipani trees measured?
There are several ways to measure the height of a frangipani.

Clearance Height - This is the height necessary to stand the frangipani upright with only the leaves, and not the highest crown, touching the ceiling. We measure from the bottom of the bag or pot to 10cms above the highest crown. Leaves can extend up to 30cms higher than the highest crown but we do not take this into consideration when measuring the clearance height. Leaves can rest against walls and ceilings during transportation but crowns shouldn't. Be sure to measure your trailer, van or truck to ensure you can fit your ordered frangipani in before you go to collect it.

Full Height - This is the height from the bottom of the pot or bag to the top of the highest leaf.

Soil Height - This is the approximate height of the soil, from the bottom of the bag to the top of the soil in the bag. For 300mm pots and small bags, this is usually around 20cms. For 45 and 75 litre bags, the soil height is usually 20-25cms. For 100 litre and 150 litre bags the soil height is usually 25-30cms.

Wood Height - The wood height is the measurement from the top of the soil to the top of the highest crown. To get an idea of how tall the frangipani will be in after you put it into the ground, subtract the soil height and 10cms from the clearance height. Leaves will make it taller than this.

Why is there sometimes a prop in the photo next to the frangipani?
Sometimes a toy car or house can look real size in a picture as a 1m frangipani can look 2m and vise-a-versa. For this reason, we try to have something in the photo standing beside each frangipani tree to help convey its real size.

Why is important not to plant frangipanis too low when transplanting them into the ground?
It is easy to dig a deep hole, slide your frangipani tree in and start filling in the hole before realizing the soil level has risen 30cms up the trunk and the top frangipani leaves are lower than you expected.
Here are the reasons why should plant your frangipani higher than lower.

1-Since frangipani roots like to travel down, it is often possible to take 5-10cms of soil from the top of the bag before transplanting your frangipani tree(s) into the ground.
2-It is also recommended to have the soil around the trunk 5cms-10cms higher than the surrounding ground to allow for the soil to compact and sink.
3-If the ground holds moisture, planting your frangipani tree on a mound will not only increase its height but also allow the roots close to the trunk to dry out more quickly.