Northland
Frangipani’s fragrant flowers carry us away to balmy tropical evenings. Their generous leaves speak of sheltered sun-soaked hideaways.
Wendy Laurenson waxes lyrical about fragrant frangipani.
Even the poetic name sounds alluring as it rolls off the tongue. In our neighbouring Pacific islands, some frangipani (Plumeria) are lush evergreen trees reaching over 6m tall, festooned with flowers from December through until April.
However, in New Zealand, even in our subtropical north, frangipani drop their leaves in winter to become naked sculptural forms with intriguing, fat, fingerlike branches. Their pointed tips gradually sprout into leaf from November, and they unfurl their scented flowers for only a few weeks from January.
Frangipani are fussy about their growing conditions and can be tricky here.
They are native to Central and South America, and have also now naturalised in Southeast Asia, so clearly they prefer tropical climes.
I know of several mature frangipani growing outside here in the north but they are all against a north-facing wall protected from cold winds and frost, are in free-draining soil, and/or are under the protection of overhanging eaves. As real beach babes though, they’re fine in the face of salty conditions, full sun and sandy soils.
The secret to growing frangipani here is water management. They hate cold, wet feet. In spring and summer, when the plants are in leaf and flower, they need regular watering and good drainage, but in the autumn and winter as the leaves start dropping, cut the watering right back to once or twice a month.
Growing frangipani in big pots is another way to give them what they need and one of my favourites up here has been in the same pot for years. A warm position in the sun or on a deck is perfect for spring and summer months, then move the pot under a roof or inside to protect it over the colder wetter winter.
The white-flowering frangipani with a yellow centre is the hardiest species for our climate.
Plumeria acutifolia also has flowers that happen to be the most scented, but there are now many more frangipani flower colours and cultivars available. These range from blushing pink to almost red, and I recently saw one that was an intense yellow all over.
In Australia, there are dozens of varieties in a multitude of colours, some deciduous and some evergreen species (but the evergreens will drop leaves in cooler climates), and there are semi-dwarf ones for small gardens or big pots.
If you chance upon a frangipani that steals your heart, it can be grown from cuttings in late spring or early summer when the tips are just starting to wake up. Get permission to cut a stem, then let the cutting dry out for a couple of weeks until the base naturally seals over. Plant the cutting in coarse sand, water it once a week, and when roots form, pot the new plant into good potting mix. If you have a north-facing, protected, freedraining spot, the plant can go into the ground once it’s more mature.
Frangipani can be grown from seed but it’s a slow process and the seedlings don’t usually flower true to colour.
Flowering is induced by at least six hours of sunlight a day. Buds emerge in a whirl from the tips of older wood. When we get them in the garden centre I work in, plants with several growing tips are more expensive as they promise more flowers.
The plants rarely need feeding but applying slow-release fertiliser with high potash in the growing season will encourage flowering, and for a compact tree, keep nitrogen to a minimum. Don’t fertilise the plant when it’s dormant.
If conditions are right, frangipani need very little maintenance, but in wet cool weather they can get a fungal rot in their roots or stems. A healthy plant should have firm branches so if any stems start to be spongy, carefully cut these off at a natural knuckle, let the wound dry out and heal over, and stop any watering for a while.
Frangipani here are not usually pruned, but if stems are branching in the way of passers-by, remove them in late winter or early spring but be careful because they exude a milky latex that can irritate some people’s eyes and skin.
Pests to watch for on frangipanis are mites and scale especially if the plant is inside and lacking good air movement. Find a favourite remedy from your garden centre or strip (and burn) infested leaves to enable the plant to produce fresh growth.
In cultures across the globe where frangipanis have found a home, they are much respected.
In Hawaii, they are commonly used for making lei to both welcome and farewell valued visitors. In Central America they have had symbolic significance for over two millennia and have been associated with deities including those that represent life and fertility, and frangipanis are associated with temples in Hindu and Buddhist cultures, hence their other common name of temple flower.
But by whatever name you call it, the allure of the frangipani is powerful in its subtle simplicity, and universal in its call to awaken our sensuality.