Plumerias are beautiful, colorful flowering plants that produce numerous flowers with fragrant scents. These flowers are famously recognized in Hawaiian leis and are easy to grow in our Southern California climate. It’s impossible to track all the different flowers and scents because there are countless varieties, however the pink, yellow and white varieties seem to be the easiest to grow. Reds and bi-colors sometimes need a little more care. Here are some simple tips you can use to keep your Plumeria plants healthy and blooming.
In coastal regions, Plumerias can be placed in the direct sun without harm. For inland areas, plants should be placed in a partially protection location. A little shade will protect foliage and stems from becoming scorched and will also prevent sun scalding on the stems.
Plumerias can survive with little moisture. You can even forget to water them and the plant will survive. Overwatering is the most common mistake gardeners make when it comes to Plumerias. They can hold an excess amount of moisture in their stems and branches, which make this remarkable plant very durable in gardens or containers in hot areas.
Plant Plumerias in a well-drained soil. Cactus mix is easy and effective as a soil medium. Plumerias planted in heavy soils are susceptible to root rot. This type of heavy soil should be amended with peat moss and perlite to add oxygenation and acidity.
During the cooler seasons Plumerias will start to defoliate. This is natural; keep them in a protected place away from freezing temperatures and keep watering to a minimum. Dry soil is okay; water once a month or even less during the cooler months.
Fertilizing is a simple process. Use an all-purpose organic fertilizer and apply it in late February before the plant awakens from dormancy and pushes new foliage.
In order for Plumeria flowers to bloom, their soil should be around a ph level of 5.5 to 6.0. You can use an acidic fertilizer called Nourish Bio Sol to acidify the soil and produce the best flowering results.
Plumerias perform well in containers. Their roots are small and brittle so be careful when transplanting.
Roger’s Gardens has some magnificent Plumeria varieties to select from. Visit us in store or call us to place an order!
Can they get leaf curt similar to fruit trees? I live in HB.
Hi Margie,
Yes, Plumeria can have leaf curl. Curling is usually caused by insects sucking juices out of the foliage. Some times it could be a fungus problems. This is a very general response. If you have issues with you Plumeria I suggest taking some images and send them to me so I can diagnose them. This way I don’t have to guess what you problem could be. E-mail:steveg@rogersgardens.com
Steve Goto
Nursery Sales Manager
I just bought my first Plumeria, it’s a 3ft “seedling”. I live in Corona. Should I leave it in the pot and bring it indoors for its first winter?
Hi Jonette,
You could do that, but I suspect that you don’t need to go quite to that extreme. Certainly I would leave it potted if you can, since it is easier to move around. But depending upon where exactly you are located and where it is located in your garden you can leave it outside most of the winter. It is only during the coldest nights that it will be risky. If we have a few particularly cold spells, just take it under cover on those nights or during those periods.
Happy Plumeria growing!
Ron
Hello
I would like to purchase a potted fully rooted plumeria tree. I’m looking for the ones that are very fragrant and have a sweet fragrance. Do you know which varieties are very fragrant, and are you selling them fully rooted? I live in Thousand Oaks, CA
Thank you,
Sarah
Hi Sarah,
Yes, we carry a large selection of potted, rooted Plumerias in all sizes, however, not this early in the season. Plumerias are best planted during the warm months of the year. At this time of the year they are still dormant and not growing (or rooting). Wait until at least about May. June or July are even better.
As for the variety with the best and most fragrance, that is an uncertain answer. In Plumerias, fragrance varies from one variety to another, similar to how rose fragrance varies. Each persons nose seems to have a different interpretation re which is best. All Plumerias are essentially fragrant though, so you almost can’t go wrong. My best advice would be to wait for two to three months and then visit and make your Plumeria selection after testing and sniffing several blooming plants. Our plants should be in nice bloom by then.
Hope that helps!
Ron
We live in indio ca southern calif desert. Can we plant a pulmeria tree here? If so which facing direction should it be? Also would an older taller tree survive better? Can we even plant it or best to keep in a pot?
In such a warm climate, it would be best to not have it in the super hot (over 100) sun for extended periods of time. Mornings and until noon would be okay during the hottest summer but otherwise, as long as its has well draining soil and regular watering it likes full sun. Suzanne
[…] around November. Don’t worry. The common response is “they don’t defoliate in Hawaii.” Southern California has a totally different climate. It’s beneficial for plants to go dormant. They store their […]
Hi:
I have a Plumeria that has always been very healthy, but this year it is way behind in leafing out. By this time last year, its leaves were almost full size; this year they are still almost like claw size that you see in early Spring. There is no spongy-ness or root rot at the base, and I poked it with a pin and latex still ooozed out. A couple of the stems already have bloom/buds on them, but no leaves.
Any thoughts?
It’s frustrating but it’s the weather. Everything is taking longer this year.
Thank you, Nava. I’m wondering if I should snip off the two inflows that are forming to direct more plant energy towards the leaves? ‘
Thank you, Nava. I’m wondering if I should snip off the two inflows that are forming to direct more plant energy towards the leaves? ‘
Hello
I’ve had a plumaria for 5 years now got it as a cutting, I just stuck it in the ground never really thought it would take. But it did very well up until this past winter. Some of the leaves have fallen off but not all. Also It has flowers blooming already and some new leaves. So my tree has old leaves,new leaves and blooming flowers this has never happened. Any thoughts?
Hello and thank you for inquiring with Roger’s Gardens,
Sometimes in Southern California plumerias do not go dormant or totally dormant, which can lead to leaves staying on the plant while the new growth comes in.
In climates more tropical than ours plumerias don’t usually go dormant but in cold areas, where people keep them in cool, dry, dark closets in their homes in winter they always go completely dormant.
The leaves should eventually fall so it’s not a big worry.
Just keep the soil lightly moist, with good drainage and fertilize regularly.
We look forward to your next visit, Suzanne
I live in Whittier California and have a plumaria in s pot. It’s about 3’ tall and is in morning sun. It list it’s leaves in fall and and I put in the garage when it got cold. It had now re-leafed and looks good. Now that it’s so hot should I move it to get shade when the sun goes overhead and I’d too hot? Since it’s heated up it has lost a couple leaves and the soil dried fast.
Jerrianne,
Your plumeria likes hot sun and can take quite a lot of cold. My experience with mine is that the leaves did show scorch when the temp hit 110 in the shade last summer, but did not really damage the plant. Also, in the winter I saw temps as low as 35 last winter and it has shown no adverse effect. If, therefore, yours is dropping leaves in this relatively mild Spring/Summer (so far!), and you stated that the pot soil is drying out quickly, I offer 2 solutions: put it in a larger pot so that there is more soil to wet and stay wet and/or water more often. I presume that you have it in fast-draining soil as is recommended, you will need to water it more than potted plants in a denser soil.
Also, morning sun may not be enough for optimal bloom, so try full sun.
One last thing; I have found that the first leaves out in the season are often curled and do drop off quickly. The next set will show larger and stay on the plant.
I hope this helps. ~Lynn
Also, plumerias bloom in light shade, too. They can be understory plants as well.
Hi
I have a 10ft plumeria tree in a big pot. The trunk is about 2 ft tall, then it splits into two. I want to cut one side or both side if i can. Is this ok for me to do it now 08/31/19. I live in North Hollywood.
Also from the one cutting, can i make 2 cuttings? (Ex. I cut about 4ft from the tree, can i make two 2ft cuttings from that?).
Thank you
Eddie
Eddie, It is best to do your cuttings when the plant is dormant, if you can wait that long, though not absolutely necessary. And, yes, you can divide a 4′ stem into 2, 2′ stems. Be sure to let the cut ends heal – that is: dry, before planting again. Keep the unplanted stems in the shade until ready to re-plant. There is no hurry. ~ LYNN
I live in Southern California and just bought my first Plumaria plant and I’m quite concerned about the summer months when I am not here in California, should I be concerned about the hot weather it gets sometimes in the hundreds20s mostly around 110 should I cover the plants from the sun or should I move it in a filtered sun Till I get back in September?
Hello and thank you for inquiring with Roger’s Gardens,
You didn’t say where you live in Southern California but I’m guessing it is in the desert?
Super hot weather should be considered and maybe only give the plumerias sun in the morning, not the afternoon.
Plumerias require soil that drains well, organic fertilizer about once a month and are pretty much a low water plant as long as its watered regularly.
Plumerias like sun and as long as they’re acclimated to it (putting it outside now and letting it get used to it until next summer but maybe not direct 115 degree heat. ~Suzanne
Hello. I have several potted Plumeria. I would like to plant them in the ground. When is the best time to do this? They have begun to lose their leaves because of the cold. Thank you!
Hello,
Plumerias are ok to plant anytime other than during frosts. I would recommend planting in the late fall or early spring. Make sure you have soil that will drain well, possibly use cactus mix.
Thank you for your inquiry,
Christine
Horticulturist
Hello, I have 3 plumerias, all 3-4 ft tall. One is having a problem with almost every leaf edge all the way around the leaf barely turning under.
A few are non conformity with a Large brown section.
Also what should I do about spider mites on my blooming plumeria?
Thank you , Kathy
Hello and thank you for inquiring with Roger’s Gardens,
I’m not quite sure what might be going on with your plumeria.
Where do you live?
How are you watering it?
What kind of sun is it getting?
etc.
Please feel free to email photos to nurserysales@rogersgardens.com with your information or call and speak with any of our Outdoor Staff.
Spider mites usually hang out in dust in crevices so I’d make sure to use your hose to ‘clean’ off the dusty areas. You can use a insecticidal soap on them as well.
We look forward to your next visit,
Suzanne
Hello. I have a plumeria I got from a cutting. It seems to be pretty healthy and happy 4′ tall with 3 branches, except I dont have any flowers. I live in Bakersfield, it gets morning and early afternoon sun, well drained soil and watered daily. I feed it organic food. Would it benefit from some acidic food?Hello, I’m so sad and have been waiting years for some blooms.. Thank you
Hello and thank you for inquiring with Roger’s Gardens,
Plumeria can sometimes take 3-5 years to bloom from a cutting or seed.
It sounds like you’re doing everything right, so the only thing to do is wait for those beautiful blooms.
Acid fertilizer isn’t the best for plumeria, you could try an organic flower fertilizer beginning in March to help but it will eventually bloom.
I hope this helps,
Suzanne
This is the second year in a row that my very large (in the ground) plumeria has not gotten leaves. It does have a two blossoms that are fairly high up on the tree but the tips that form the leaves are still tight clusters. I thought it was getting too much water so I stopped watering it to see if drying it out would help. It has not. All of the branches look fairly healthy and if I cut them off and rooted them I think that they would all be fine. It has at least 25 stems with no leaves. Help! P.S. I live in Los Angeles. I have not fertilized it should I would that help create leaves?
Hello and thank you for inquiring with Roger’s Gardens,
Your plumeria isn’t leafing out as it should so I would like to ask a few questions.
How long has this large plant been in the ground?
Sometimes it takes a while for plumeria to develop a good root structure after being planted.
If you are not fertilizing it with an organic fertilizer. ?
Fertilizer is so important for tropical bloomers so definitely use it regularly.
Watering should be done slowly, deeply once a week in the summer and less in the cooler months when it’s dormant but regularly is important as is well draining soil. Our soil here is so full of clay that sometimes we forget that although the top few feet of our soil is excellent, if you dig down a bit you’ll hit a “hardpan” of clay soil that just holds onto water, not allowing it to drain and roots can be stuck with no way to dry out between watering (especially during rainy months like earlier this year). This can lead to yellow leaves and can take months to dry out properly.
We look forward to your next visit, Suzanne
I received a large cutting about 3′ and I planted it the ground and have probably over watered base on what I’m reading. Do you think I can could dig it out or cut it at ground level and replant it in a pot?
Hello and thank you for inquiring with Roger’s Gardens,
If you feel your plant has rotted at its base, pull it out, let it dry out and then cut it where it has no rot.
If it is not rotting, only that you feel you’ve overwatered, again, pull it out and either replace the wet soil or let it dry out and then replant the cutting.
Plumerias are fairly hearty except for overwatering/rot. If it’s really rotted, there may not be any hope but cut off the worst bits and cross your fingers.
Plumerias can be treated like succulents; put them in well draining soil, water about once a week in warm weather and fertilize them with an organic product regularly beginning in March, until November or December.
I hope this helps.
We look forward to your next visit,
Suzanne
I live in Encinitas, CA and have a huge white Plumeria plant next to our pool. It’s so large, quite a few of the branches are actually about 1-2 inches in the pool. At the moment, the “tree” is blooming prolific on each branch but the pool man says I need to cut the branches that are in the pool. Is there anyway I can keep the blooms on the branch after I cut it for a while? Or do I need to take all leaves/blooms off while callousing the bottom?
Hello and thank you for inquiring with Roger’s Gardens,
If you’re going to cut the branch, there is a possibility the flowers will die or fall off, from shock, but maybe not. I’d cut the branch, let it dry and immediately replant it.
It *should* be fine, but if not, there’s always next year…. ? We look forward to your next visit, Suzanne
I live in Fountain Valley and had my Plumerias for several years. It was going along just fine and all of a sudden things changed. According to my research it appears the plant is infested with leafhoppers. I am defoliating the leaves but I was wondering what you would recommend to control or eliminate these pests
Hello and thank you for inquiring with Roger’s Gardens,
If they are true leafhoppers, just spraying them off with water and a light insecticidal soap (IS) should help deter them.
If they are adolescents, the IS should kill them but if they’re adults, there really is only daily spritzing to make it an unappealing spot.
We look forward to your next visit, Suzanne
I have several established plumeria, ground planted, trees that were a bonus when we bought our home in November 2019. They were doing fine up until recently. We are experiencing a very hot summer here in Jurupa Valley with many days being over 100 degrees. Now there are many leaves with large brown areas. I keep snapping off the damaged leaves, but the next day there are more. I first thought it was the sun burning the leaves but now wonder if it could be something else.
One other thing is that we added a drip line watering system to all of our planters to help save water. I think they come on every other day for five minutes, but it sounds like this may be too much water for the plumeria. From what I’ve read above, we should cut back the watering to 1 x per week for a longer period of time.
I’ve not fed them lately but when I did in late spring it was just with a standard fruit/flower fertilizer. I would appreciate your guidance so we can enjoy these lovely plants for many years to come.
Hello and thank you for inquiring with Roger’s Gardens,
From your email it sounds like your leaves *might* be getting burned but it’s difficult to tell without being able to see them.
If at all possible, you can send photos to: nurserysales@rogersgardens.com and someone from our staff will look at them and give you advice with this.
If the leaves are burning, try to not cut them off unless they are completely crisp, because any part of the leaf will help the plant grow (photosynthesis and all).
We look forward to your next visit, Suzanne
Thanks for posting such a wonderful article. We find that the full sun locations in the coastal zone works best for Plumeria (aka Frangipani) in southern California. Often these trees further inland receive too much hot afternoon sun and get burned leaves. They are beautiful additions to properties — both residential and commercial. I will keep in mind your wonderful selection of trees when we are working on properties in your specific area.
My potted plumeria is still just one stick about two feet tall with about five or six leaves on top. How do you get a plumeria to grow more branches?
Although it’s too late in the season to do this, the best way to get plumerias to flush out more leaves and flowers is to give them lots of sun and fertilize regularly from March through September.
Soon your plumeria will begin its dormancy and lose its leaves. We look forward to your next visit, Suzanne