Frangipani Care

Frangipani Care (Answers are Below)

Do I need to take care of my frangipanis?
How will I know if my frangipanis are doing well or not?
How can I improve the appearance of my frangipanis?
How can I improve the shape of my frangipanis?

Do I need to take care of my frangipanis?

Not really. Once a frangipani is in the ground, it usually does better with no care compared to too much care. The danger of too much care is over watering. You should however learn what to look out for and monitor the condition of your frangipanis trees.

How will I know if my frangipanis are doing well or not?

The easiest way to confirm that your frangipani is healthy is to squeeze the branches. If the wood is firm, the frangipani is healthy. Also, in spring and summer, frangipanis should produce fresh green growth at the tips and lots of nice green leaves. There are many factors which can reduce the attractiveness of the crowns and leaves but the larger the frangipani, the less likely this will affect the health of the whole frangipani.

How can I improve the appearance of my frangipanis?

You can remove any old yellow leaves.
You can remove any existing fungus or scale and reduce the possibility and damage of any future attacks.
You can monitor and try to prevent or at least reduce insect attacks.
You can add a small amount of slow release fertilizer in spring and possibly again in early summer.

How can I improve the shape of my frangipanis?

For large frangipani trees, it’s common to cut off branches.
Pruning Large Frangipanis
If you have a small frangipani and would like to improve the overall shape for future growth, you can bend a branch or two into your desired position. The frangipani should be in the ground for at least 6 months and rope should be tied close to the end of the branch. The branch should improve its position within weeks and almost completely hold its new position within a few months.

Which frangipani species is best suited to my area?

The hardiest frangipani species is plumeria rubra. I assume all of the frangipani trees in Melbourne and almost all frangipani trees in Sydney are frangipani rubra.

For people living in and around Melbourne and Sydney, frangipani rubra is a safe option. Naturally there are variations in climate from area to area and even greater variations from position to position (micro-climate). The warmer and the more protected a position, the more likely the frangipani obtusa species could survive or even grow well.

As an example, the temperature in rural areas surrounding a large city like Sydney will drop several degrees colder than the city. The temperature in suburbs far from the coast (West Sydney) will drop several degrees below suburbs near the coast (North Sydney and the Eastern Suburbs).  A position which is open to the north and has high building or trees to the south for protection will help greatly too. Materials which reflect the sun’s heat, such as glass or aluminium also help. Materials which store heat such as rock and brick also help.

Choosing A Position For A Frangipani Tree

Frangipani rubras grow well in South East Queensland. If your selected position is shaded or you want a no fuss frangipani, rubra is probably the best choice. Many people choosing a frangipani for South East Queensland choose or at least consider a frangipani obtusa. Another reason for choosing a rubra is flower colour. There are many flower colours whereas the obtusa is limited to the Singapore White (White flower with yellow centre

Read more about these two options on our Frangipani Species page.

Going north of Brisbane up the coast of Queensland, frangipanis can survive in almost any position and grow more healthily in warm positions.  Choosing a frangipani for those areas has almost identical considerations as people in South East Queensland as mentioned above.