Plant Doctor Archive

Frangipani looking ill

Question I WAS given a cut white and yellow tropical frangipani, which I put in a vase. It was doing really well, produced more flowers and even started to grow roots, so I put it in a well-drained pot with potting soil and placed it in the same spot as the vase. But now it’s ailing. What advice can you give me before I lose it altogether?

Answer  TROPICAL frangipani (Plumeria rubra) has brittle roots which are easily damaged at the best of times, but roots that develop in water are even more likely to break. This is probably what happened when you potted it.

If the stem is firm and plump, that is a good sign. But if it has started to shrivel, there’s probably not much chance of saving it. Keep the cutting in a warm sunny spot. Only water when it has become quite dry and even then water sparingly. With a bit of luck, it will survive, grow fresh roots and produce new leaves in spring.

Weekend Gardener, Issue 146, 2004, Page 24