Description and types of frangipani, recommendations for creating conditions for the growth of plumeria indoors, selection of soil and transplantation, pests and diseases. Plumeria (Plumeria) - this plant is ranked among the genus Kutrovyh (Apocynaceae), which contains 200 genera and more than 2000 species. Almost all Pacific Islands, where tropical and subtropical climates prevail, are considered to be their native habitat. The plant got its name in honor of Charles Plumiere - a French botanist of the seventeenth century. It is found in various sources under the name "frangipani", as the French marquis Mario Frangipani introduced the scent of these flowers into the perfume composition of perfumes and creams. The aristocrats of that time were madly in love with this fragrance and Queen Catherine de 'Medici loved it very much. Plumeria is also called a "temple tree", because in funeral ceremonies taking place on the island territories of Thailand, Laos or Bali, flowers are used to weave garlands from them, and they mean immortality and eternity, and they are also planted near temples.
The plant takes the form of trees or shrubs and can grow up to 5 m in height. But in indoor conditions, frangipani can reach a maximum height of 2 meters. It has a well-branched, spreading crown. The root system of plumeria is also enviable in size. Her simplicity in care and the unique beauty of flowers fell in love with flower growers from all over the world. Now you can find this plant on the American continent and throughout Europe.
The branches have succulent properties (accumulate and retain moisture), look quite thick, can measure 2.5–5 cm in thickness. On them, leafy plates grow leathery to the touch, on which the relief created by the veins clearly appears. This drawing diverges from the center of the sheet to its edges. The top of the leaf can be pointed or rounded. The leaves are arranged in the form of bunches on the shoot and are measured 40 cm in length with 2-4 cm in width, are particularly durable and tough. But sometimes sheet plates are more elongated or rounded. Their color is predominantly dark emerald green with impurities of purple or gray tones. It happens that the leaf has a slight pubescence on the back.
The color of the leaf blade may indicate future color of the plumeria buds. If the flowers take on red tones, then the leaf plates are dark green and possibly red-brown in color. If the flowers are pastel, delicate colors, then the leaves are light green or dark yellow.
The flowering process extends from mid-spring to mid-winter. The aroma of flowers is distinguished by a variety of shades - it can be notes of citrus, gardenia or jasmine. The smell is felt more strongly in the morning. Flowers are mainly located on the tops of young shoots. When unfolded, they can be up to 10 cm across. However, the appearance of plumeria flowers is very different from each other. The buds can be fully open or resemble tulip flowers. The flower petals are predominantly elliptical, but may be spatula-shaped. They range in width from narrow to wide. The surface of the petal can be flat or curled. The color differs in very diverse shades, from snow-white to deep red (there may be variegated and speckled species). These beautiful flowers are pollinated by insects, miniature hummingbirds and the wind.
After the plumeria stops blooming, its fruits appear, which are not edible. They have the form of tapered pods in the form of cylinders, which are distinguished by a pointed tip. The color of the pods is green or red-brown. Inside the pods are seeds that are used for breeding frangipani. Seed material reaches maturity after 8-10 months. Once ripe, the pods open and the seeds begin to scatter around. The number of seeds in a pod capsule can be up to 100 (determined by the type of flower). The seed has wings and looks like a maple seed, measuring from 1 to 4 cm in length.
Extracts from oil of plumeria flowers have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and regenerating properties, therefore they are actively used in modern cosmetology and medicine.
Attention! It is necessary to be careful when caring for plumeria, since when parts of the plant break, milky sap is released, which is quite poisonous and, if it gets on the skin, can cause allergic reactions and irritation. Gloves are recommended when caring for the plant. But if, nevertheless, the juice gets on the skin, then it is better to quickly wash it off with plenty of running water. This must be taken into account when keeping the plant in homes where there are small children and pets.
Indoor Plumeria Tips
- Lighting. This plant is simply basking in bright direct sunlight. Such strong illumination for plumeria requires at least 6 hours a day for successful further flowering. If these conditions are not met, then the magnificent frangipani flowers can not be expected. When the lighting is poor enough and such conditions persist for a long time, the plant begins to shed all the deciduous mass and its branches are elongated bare stems with small remnants of foliage at the tops. Therefore, it is best for plumeria to be on the windows of the southern exposure or to arrange additional lighting for the plant with special phytolamps. In extreme cases, windows may be suitable, into which the sun's rays will fall at sunset and sunrise. With the arrival of summer temperatures, the plant can be taken out into the open air, but it is still necessary to accustom it to sunlight gradually. It is also not recommended to put plumeria in the sun immediately after purchase. The plant needs to find a place in the air that is protected from precipitation and the influence of a draft.
- Air humidity. Since it is a resident of humid and warm climatic regions, Frangipani is very fond of high humidity and spraying. Although there is information that the plant is calm about the lack of moisture. It is best to spray the leaf plates and stems during the period of active plant growth. For this, softened water at room temperature is taken.
- Temperature indicators of plumeria content. The plant is completely tolerant of indoor thermometer readings. However, for summer, it is better to maintain the temperature range of 25-30 degrees, and with the arrival of the cold season, the temperature can be reduced to 16-18 (this is just the dormant period of the plant). But it must be remembered that readings below 16 degrees will have a bad effect on frangipani.
- Winter rest period. The plant needs a dormant regime, which falls during the winter months. The duration of this period can vary from 21 to 30 days (depending on the type of frangipani). Part of the deciduous mass falls off at this time, but these are very old leaves, which most often grow from below. After the plant wakes up, the active growing season begins with the appearance of young leaves, and most importantly, flowers. The buds are laid only on young shoots, so pruning of plumeria is necessary only after the end of flowering. During dormancy, the plant needs to achieve stability between temperature and light. If the temperature indicators are reduced to the limits of 12-14 degrees, then they stop watering the plant and the soil is moistened only once every 1, 5-2 months. In this case, the plant is pruned and left until spring days, waiting for the appearance of buds. If during wintering the temperature was not lowered and could reach 25–27 degrees, then the plumeria continues to grow. Then its leaf plates, due to a lack of illumination and at a high rate, become smaller in size, their number decreases. To avoid such consequences, frangipani must be supplemented with lamps for at least 8 hours a day. If the heat indicators are 18-22 degrees, then the plant will not need additional lighting, but will have to reduce the amount of soil moisture. Also, watering in the winter depends on how much foliage is left on the plant. If sufficient illumination cannot be created, then it is necessary to cut off the entire deciduous mass.
- Watering plumeria. Since the plant develops very quickly and is large, large volumes of water are needed to moisten the soil. In summer, some growers water frangipani once a day, but sometimes even twice. It all depends on how much the soil dries out, because the plant will also suffer from large waterlogging. Watering takes place with the help of settled water, but there is information that tap water does not affect the plant negatively at all. During the wintering period, watering is reduced so much that the earthen lump in the pot does not dry out completely.
- Fertilizers for frangipani. The choice of dressings for this plant is a very important step, since not only the appearance of the plumeria depends on them, but also the further flowering process. It is best to apply fertilizers with a complex of minerals at a time when the rapid growth of young leaves begins. It is necessary to treat nitrogenous compounds for fertilizing with great care, since they greatly inhibit the formation and development of flowers. When it is seen that the young plates have already begun to gain strength, then you can switch to feeding for flowering indoor plants, since there is a sufficient amount of phosphorus in it, which will contribute to the ripening of flower buds and the opening of flowers. Fertilizing plumeria is recommended every two weeks. If frangipani grows in the open air, then it is necessary to carry out foliar dressing - spraying the plant with the same fertilizers (top dressing on a leaf). For this, half the dose of the fertilizer solution is diluted in water. There is a need to alternate spraying and applying top dressing to the ground. The regularity of this operation is the same.
- The choice and composition of the soil, advice on replanting. For planting plumeria, the soil must be loose, the ability to pass air and water well. The soil should not be compacted over time. You can use a universal soil for indoor plants and mix a baking powder (perlite or vermiculite), fine expanded clay or well-crushed coniferous bark into it. The substrate should have an acidity at a pH level of 6, 1–7, 5 (again depending on the type of frangipani).
To compose the soil mixture, the following variations are used:
- sod land, peat land, humus, river sand (ratio 2: 1: 1: 1, respectively);
- turf, leafy soil or peat soil, coarse sand, coniferous bark or any baking powder (proportions are maintained 2: 1: 1: 1).
Early spring is chosen for transplanting plumeria. If the plant is young, then the pot and soil change occurs annually, but if the frangipani has reached the age of 3-5 years, this operation is performed every 2-3 years. Since the size of the root system corresponds to the size of the plant itself and if the roots are provided with larger and larger pots, the plant can develop very strongly indoors. To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to reduce the size of the root system during transplantation by cutting from the sides to 5 cm. And then you can not change the pot, but only add a new substrate. But if you do not need to restrain the growth of plumeria, then you can increase the size of the pot. A good drain must be placed at the bottom, and there must be holes in it to drain excess moisture.
Domestic breeding of plumeria
Frangipani propagated by cuttings and seeds.
In order to propagate plumeria using cuttings, a lignified shoot is selected. It is cut in autumn or winter. These scraps can last up to six months without planting in a substrate or special conditions. The length of the cut part should be no more than 25-30 cm. The leaf plates are removed, since their wilting and dropping is inevitable. Before planting, the cuttings are slightly dried so that the released milky juice dries up. The cut edge can be treated with any root stimulant. Then you need to plant the workpiece in the soil from peat soil and a baking powder (for example, perlite). The soil is moistened before planting, the shoot is deepened at least 10 cm into the soil. Re-watering should be done only after the soil dries out in a pot with a cutting. If you are not sure that the substrate is completely dry, then it is recommended to postpone watering for another couple of days. The pot with the plant must be placed in a place with adequate lighting and temperature.
Watering is extremely accurate, only after the clod of earth in the pot has completely dried out. Rooting of the cuttings occurs no earlier than 2-3 months. As soon as young leaves appear, you can increase the watering of the plant. And if it is clear that the plumeria has confidently started to grow, you can change the pot to a larger one and change the soil to suit the adult specimens. Young plumeria bloom after a year or two, without losing the properties of the mother plant.
The method of growing a young plant using seeds is the most laborious and not very successful, since the plumeria grown by this method may not retain the properties of the parent plant. A seed with a wing is used (nothing is removed). Seeds must be poured with warm water and left for several hours. In order to prevent putrefactive processes, it is also necessary to dip the seeds in a fungicide solution, and then in hydrogen peroxide. The soil is mixed from sod and leafy soil. The substrate for planting is disinfected - it can be doused with boiling water and allowed to dry, or the soil can be placed in the oven for 30 minutes at a temperature of 70-90 degrees. Soil is poured into the container and seeds are planted so that the wing looks out on the surface. The container is covered with glass and placed in a warm and well-lit place. Crops must be regularly sprayed with a spray bottle and ventilated. After a couple of weeks, when the seedlings germinate and 2 full leaves are formed on it, the seedlings can be transplanted into separate pots with a diameter of up to 9 cm. Plants grown using this method begin to bloom at 2-3 years of age.
Potential pests and difficulties in growing plumeria
The plant can only be affected by a spider mite; spraying with modern insecticides is used to combat it. If watering is scarce, then the plumeria reacts with yellowing and foliage shedding, up to a stop in growth. Overflow is practically also expressed by the plant, only there is a possibility of root rot.
Plumeria species
There are a lot of species of this plant, but the following can be distinguished:
- White Plumeria (Plumeria alba), it is distinguished by snow-white flowers of a waxy appearance with a strong aroma, having a yellowish tint in the middle and petals twisted in a spiral;
- Red Plumeria (Plumeria rubra), the corolla of the flower can reach 5 cm in diameter, are distinguished by a delicate aroma and 5 waxy petals;
- Blunt Plumeria (Plumeria obtusa), the corolla is longer than that of other varieties, it has a citrus aroma.
Learn the main secrets of plumeria care from this video:
