Plumeria
Plumeria rubra
Plumeria is a tropical shrub or small tree prized for its intensely fragrant, waxy flowers in shades of white, yellow, pink, and red, famously used to make Hawaiian leis.
- Light
- Full sun
- Water
- Water deeply when soil dries; keep dry in winter dormancy
- Difficulty
- Moderate
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Overview
Plumeria is a deciduous tropical shrub or small tree native to Central America and the Caribbean, now grown throughout warm regions worldwide. Its blooms carry a rich perfume that strengthens at night to attract sphinx moths.
The plant has thick, succulent-like branches that ooze a milky latex when cut. In cooler climates it is widely grown in containers and overwintered indoors, dropping its leaves and going dormant.
How to identify it
Recognizable by its blunt, fleshy branches and clusters of five-petaled pinwheel flowers.
- Flowers: five waxy petals overlapping in a spiral, white/yellow/pink/red, highly fragrant
- Leaves: large, leathery, lance-shaped, clustered at branch tips
- Branches: thick, gray-green, exude milky sap when broken
- Size: typically 3-8 m tall in the ground, smaller in pots
Care & growing
Give plumeria as much direct sun as possible. Use a fast-draining, gritty soil mix.
- Water: soak thoroughly, then let soil dry; reduce sharply once leaves drop
- Temperature: keep above 10 C; protect from frost
- Feeding: high-phosphorus bloom fertilizer through the growing season
- Propagation: easy from cuttings allowed to callus for a week before planting
Habitat & origin
Native to Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, growing in seasonally dry tropical forests and rocky slopes.
It has naturalized across tropical Asia and the Pacific, where it is strongly associated with temples and gardens. It is most popular in Hawaii, Southeast Asia, and frost-free parts of the southern US.
Frequently asked questions
Why won't my plumeria bloom?
Most often too little sun. Plumeria needs at least six hours of direct sunlight and phosphorus-rich feeding to flower.
Why did my plumeria drop all its leaves?
This is normal winter dormancy in cooler climates. Keep it dry and warm and it will releaf in spring.
How do I propagate plumeria?
Take a branch cutting, let the cut end callus for several days, then plant in gritty soil and water sparingly until rooted.
Plumeria guides
In-depth guides for identifying, growing, and caring for Plumeria.
Plumeria identified by the community
Real specimens identified with Plant Identifier.
