The white frangipani (Plumeria alba) may be a deciduous plumeria tree that’s native to tropical areas and grows to about 15 to 25 feet. Like other plumerias, its flowers are famously fragrant and delightful , and it blooms from early summer into fall. White frangipani’s flowers have a yellow center and five white petals arranged during a spiral. As a tropical plant, this tree grows only in warm climates or in greenhouses. Elsewhere, it are often grown during a pot and brought indoors during cold seasons, but this will be challenging in many climates.

The leaves of the white frangipani, which grow a few foot long, cluster in spirals on the stems and are generally a deep green. Like its branches, the Plumeria alba’s leaves yield milky white sap when cracked open. As deciduous trees, they undergo a dormant period within the dry winter season, once they lose their leaves and blooms before bursting back to full color when the season begins in spring. within the wild, the tree forms fruit in small pods, but most domestically cultivated specimens don’t bear fruit.

How to Grow White Frangipani

White frangipani are commonly grown as landscape plants or specimen trees publicly areas. they continue to be relatively small and self-contained and may be pruned for strength and stability also as shapeliness. Plumeria are drought-tolerant and may grow in sea air. they will be easily propagated from stem cuttings

Light

White frangipani grows best full sun, but it’s tolerant of some shade.

Soil

Rich, loamy soil is right for white frangipani. it’s tolerant of varied soil types, including clay and sand, but the soil should drain well. Poor drainage or overly wet soil can cause plant disease (indicated by wilting leaves or unhealthy-looking brown spots).

Water

In general, plumeria’s water needs are dry to medium. Plants fully sun will need more water than those partial shade. Let the soil dry out before watering, and decide to reduce watering within the winter. Overwatering promotes plant disease.

Temperature and Humidity

The moist air and warm temperatures of the tropics are what frangipani like best. While these conditions are often replicated during a greenhouse, they’re far more challenging within the temperate, often dry, climates of most U.S. states. When grown indoors, plumeria needs a season of cooler temperatures (50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit), replicating the winter in tropical regions.

Fertilizer

Frangipani benefits from feeding twice a year, once at the start of the season in spring and once at the start of fall. Use a slow-release fertilizer designed for flowering trees.

Toxicity of White Frangipani Trees

The plumeria species may be a member of the Apocynaceae. “Bane” during a plant name typically indicates toxicity, and this is often the case with plumeria. All parts of West Indian jasmine are considered moderately toxic but particularly the milky sap found within the leaves, flowers, and bark.

Symptoms of Poisoning

Exposure to the sap and, for some, touching the plant, may result in a rash in sensitive individuals. All parts of the plant also are toxic when eaten by people and pets, but the sap features a pronounced bitter flavor that repels most animals.

Pruning

In general, frangipani is fairly tolerant of pruning, and you’ll prune it for a spread of goals. to make a central trunk or standard, prune lower branches all the thanks to the trunk while the tree is developing. to form the tree denser or bushier, prune the branches to about 1/3 or 1/2 of their unpruned length to encourage multiple branches to grow from the pruned ends.

Keep in mind that because the flowers appear only on the ends of branches, pruned branches won’t flower for that year. the simplest time to prune is late winter to early spring.

Common Pests/Diseases

Plumeria alba is vulnerable to the frangipani caterpillar (Pseudosphinx tetrio), or frangipani moth. this is often an outsized, colorful, poisonous caterpillar that feeds voraciously on the tree’s leaves, usually in fall. While an invasion of those hungry caterpillars can quickly make a tree look bare, they won’t likely harm the tree. you’ll remove the caterpillars by hand, but wear gloves because they will bite.

White-scale insects, whiteflies, mealybugs, and nematodes can also plague a plumeria tree. the standard organic methods will help with mitigation. generally, though, this tree has no major issues with insects.