Plumeria Plant

Plumeria is a genus of 7-8 species of flowering plants. There are hundreds of varieties of this plant out of which at least 300 have been named. Lets see how to care for plumeria plants and grow new ones through a process called propagation. This article will also provide you with some interesting plumeria facts.

Plumerias are easy to care for plants. All you have to do is follow some simple tips given below in order to keep your plants in good health.

Sunlight

They prefer bright sunlight. Direct sunlight is not a problem. However juveniles should be kept in partial shads. However, if you have kept plumerias indoors for some time, don't expose them to full sun suddenly. Gradually increase their exposure to sunlight to keep them from getting burnt.

Watering

Allow the soil to dry between waterings. Also remember, they don't like a soggy soil so plant them in a well drained mix.

Re-potting

As they are vigorous growers and the root systems also fill the pots rather quickly, plumerias will require a regular re-potting.

Temperature

Plumeria is a plant of warmer climates so protect it from freezing winters. Younger plants are known to struggle with temperatures below 35 F, established plants can withstand lower temperatures of 25 F for a short while. You might also consider bringing the plant indoors during frost.

Pruning

The branches you prune might not provide you with blooms for a year or so. On the other hand they will create new branches from the point you pruned them and thus you can have more blooms once the effects of pruning neutralize.

Plumeria plants can easily be propagated through cuttings and seed germination. Seeds will take roughly 3 weeks to germinate. Make sure you keep the soil moist during the process of germination and keep the mix at a sunny location. If propagating through cuttings, you can allow the soil to dry before watering it again but do not let it stay dry for long.

Here are a few interesting facts about Plumeria plant.

Plumeria was originally spelled as Plumiera.

It was named in honor of Charles Plumier, who was a French botanist of the seventeenth century. He documented many plant and animal species.

In Hawaii they call it melia.

The Plumeria plant is known as araliya in Sri Lanka.

Plumerias are commonly known as Frangipani.

Frangipani was an Italian noble family of which invented a plumeria-scented perfume.