Plumeria (Plumeria) – a very beautiful plant, which is valued by gardeners for its variety of color options and showy flowers, exuding a pleasant aroma reminiscent of citrus, jasmine and lily of the valley. In Buddhism, the plumeria flower is considered a symbol of immortality, and it is planted in the territories of temples, in Laos and Bali it is the national flower.
The name comes from the name of Charles Plumier, a French botanist. It is also called frangipani, in honor of the Italian who used flowers to create perfume.
Types and varieties of decorative plumeria flower: photo and description
Homeland – South America, Antilles. Now the distribution area includes Mexico, California, Southeast Asia. Family: Kutrovye.
The first description of plumeria was created by Bernardino de Sahagún, author of the General History of the Affairs of New Spain, who used the knowledge of the Aztecs about various plants of the colonized area. This book mentions the local name of the flower – kakaloshuchitl – and indicates that it grows in a hot area and has a pleasant aroma.
Modern plumeria is a succulent shrub or tree. Indoors, the plant reaches no more than 1.5 m in height.
The leaves are leathery, with a beautiful pattern of veins. At the top of the shoots fragrant purple-pink, red, yellow or white flowers grow, collected in a brush. Despite the attractive smell of flowers for insects, nectar is absent in them.
Blooms profusely from July to November. The fruits are not used for food. Seeds are nut-like.
Species and varieties. The Plant List has ten non-hybrid species of plumeria. Most popular:
Plumeria white (P. alba);
Plumeria red (P. rubra),
And its varieties, for example:
Plumeria red “Pink Pearl” (P. rubra “Pink Pearl”).
They will be discussed in more detail below.
Less common types include:
P. filifolia,
P. inodora,
P. magna,
P. mariaelenae,
P. obtusa and others.
White plumeria grows in nature in the Antilles, it is a tree with large (up to 30 cm in length) leaves that fall during dormancy. The top of the leaf is smooth, dark green, bottom – with a thick white edge. The flowers are white with a yellow eye, which is how the species got its name, and have a smell similar to that of citrus fruits. They are used to make the traditional Hawaiian lei neck wreath.
There are a lot of decorative varieties of red plumeria, since when hybridized, its flowers change shape and shade, creating many spectacular variations.
Plumeria “Pink Pearl” – flowers with a rich dark pink color and sometimes a yellow eye. The pleasant smell is attractive to birds, bees and butterflies.
Plumeria “Mardi Gras” – a very interesting color of the petals, in which the dark pink color turns into yellow.
Plumeria “Chupa Chup” – rounded pale pink petals with a bright crimson stripe along the central axis and a yellow eye.
Plumeria “Tricolor” – known for white petals with yellow and pink stripes.
Plumeria “Lutea” – bright yellow inflorescences.
Plumeria “Abigail” – abundant pink bloom.
The photo shows the brightness of plumeria flowers of various varieties and species.
How to care for a plumeria plant
Caring for plumeria even at home does not require specific knowledge and skills. It is important to remember that the plant originates from the tropical zone and provide it with the appropriate conditions necessary for healthy growth.
requirements for environmental conditions. Plumeria should be placed in a sunny window. South window sills are best suited; you can also place the pot near a window facing west or east. If the succulent “looks” at the north side, this is fraught with the fact that the plant will experience a lack of light, will not bloom, and will become weak and painful. It is optimal when the flower is in the sun 6-7 hours a day. If the young plant was just brought into the house, it will need an adaptation period when the amount of light received will increase gradually, otherwise sunburn may appear on the leaves.
In winter, it is recommended to keep at a temperature of at least 16 ° C. In the summer, if possible, take out into the air. An artificial decrease in temperature during the dormant period is not required. During the growing season, the temperature should not be below 18 ° C – this will adversely affect the development of the flower. Plumeria should be protected from drafts.
How should plumeria be cared for? She loves when the humidity is high, but does not tolerate excessive watering. The water in the pan must not stagnate. At the same time, overdrying of the soil coma is also unacceptable. For optimal balance in the summer, you can put it on a pallet with wet pebbles, maintain regular watering from June to September. After dropping the leaves, watering is reduced. Before flowering begins or after it ends, you can spray the leaves, the procedure is carried out in the early morning or late evening, when direct sunlight does not fall on the flower.
Planting plumeria in a new pot, top dressing and pruning
During the cultivation of plumeria, it is easy to regulate its growth and development by transplanting. The flower has a strong root system, quickly occupying the entire available volume of the soil coma. The more space given to the roots of the flower, the bigger and taller it will grow. Therefore, if the grower wants to maintain the plant in certain parameters, when the soil coma is depleted and transplanted, he does not increase the size of the container for planting plumeria, but reduces the area of \u200b\u200bthe root system, cutting the roots by 5 cm from the ends and sprinkling the cut with crushed coal. The optimal substrate for a flower is prepared from soddy soil, humus, peat, sand (2: 1: 1: 1).
At home, feeding is vital for the successful cultivation of plumeria. During the growing season, plumeria is fed with flower fertilizers, which is done twice a month. For a plant placed outdoors, foliar top dressing is recommended: spraying with dissolved fertilizer at a dose that is half that indicated in the instructions. In autumn, fertilization is reduced and stops completely when the flower enters a dormant period.
Timely pruning is important for plumeria to bloom. Also, this procedure allows you to maintain the shape of the crown of the plant that the grower needs. This is done at the very beginning of the growing season, when the succulent comes out of its dormant phase. Dead and withered branches are removed, in the presence of blackened tips, they are cut off to healthy tissue.
Proper watering, timely pruning, balanced feeding – three aspects are necessary to know how to grow healthy and beautiful plumeria at home.
How to plant seeds to grow plumeria at home
Reproduction of domestic plumeria is carried out in two ways: cuttings at a temperature of 24-25 ° C and seeds. The use of cuttings is more popular, since growing plumeria from seeds at home is very troublesome and does not always pay off: the seeds quickly lose their germination capacity during storage.
Cuttings are harvested from the cut tops of the plant when it is dormant. The semi-lignified part of the stem 25-30 cm long is cut off. The cut is made oblique, excess leaves are removed, since useful substances are spent to maintain their viability. Cuttings are able to be stored for a long time, they are planted at the start of the warm season, if it is not possible to create conditions for growing on their own. Rooting is long, up to three months. The first watering is carried out at planting, the next – only after the soil lump has dried, gently increasing after the first growth appears on the stem. When the growth rate stabilizes, you can transplant the flower into a larger container.
If the goal of the grower is to grow hybrid varieties (self-bred or bought in a ready mix), it is important to know how to plant plumeria seeds correctly. They are sown shallowly, laying flat, in small pots, 6 cm is the optimal size. Under favorable conditions, the first shoots will appear in a week. When the root system has developed to a stable state, the seedlings can be transferred to deep pots. Plumeria, grown from seeds, blooms at home in the second or third year of life.
Diseases and pests of plumeria
Diseases of decorative plumeria are most often associated with care errors, since the plant has poisonous juice and is unattractive to pests. The flower suffers greatly from excessive watering, which is manifested by rot on the root system and stem. If softened and darkened areas are found, the grower removes them, sprinkling the cut with crushed coal.
In dry and hot seasons, the flower is sometimes affected by spider mites. If a pest is found, the plant must be isolated and sprayed with an insecticide. Fungal infestations are also possible, manifested by dark spots on the leaves – they are treated with broad-spectrum fungicides.
Due to the presence of poisonous juice that can cause allergies and dermatitis, frangipani is not recommended to be kept in public institutions, in places accessible to children or pets. All operations with the plant, especially pruning, must be carried out with gloves.
Concentrates and extracts from plumeria oil are widely used in cosmetology, as they relieve inflammation, promote cell regeneration, and have an antioxidant effect. They are suitable for the manufacture of products that care for the skin at night, as well as for deep cleansing – as part of scrubs and peels.
You can admire the tropical beauty of the plant and get advice on plumeria care by watching this video.