Frangipani Plant
Everything You Want To Know About The Frangipani Plant
If the intoxicating fragrance coming from the frangipani plant doesn't cast a spell on you then the vibrant beautiful colors surely will. The plants are a gardener's favorite around the world and a full grown plant can cost several hundred dollars. Although the frangipani plant looks delicate and difficult, they are easy to grow and quite forgiving of neglect from a beginner gardener.
The frangipani plant is more commonly known as being the official Hawaiian lei flower. It is a native plant to the Caribbean, South America, Mexico and the Pacific Islands. The flowers from this magical plant come in beautiful shades of pink, brushed with a hint of bronze most commonly but are also found in white, yellow, red and pastels. The flower's scent is the strongest at night, which besides from their obvious beauty, are another reason why they are used in so many bouquets for romantic events. The clusters of flowers lie on the end of each individual terminal branch and take their time over several weeks to fully open.
A frangipani plant can mature into a very large shrub or even a small tree and in tropical regions, it is not uncommon for them to reach 40 feet in height and 20 feet wide. The fleshy leaves of the plant are long and leathery and grow in clusters close to the tips of the thick, widely spaced branches that are either pointed or round. A frangipani plant cannot withstand cold temperatures and will turn to mush at first sign of frost. It is interesting to note that they come armed with a milky sap that is poisonous. The wood from the tree is white and is often used in creating musical instruments and some elegant furniture.
When the seedlings from a frangipani plant get big enough to actually handle you can transplant each one individually into their own pots. They enjoy a well drained soil and if the soil is clay where you live then you should add a bit of organic compost. The frangipani plant can be pruned at any time of the year. They prefer to have a slow release fertilizer added occasionally to feed them a good supply of nutrients and assure an abundance of blossoms.
When planting a frangipani plant from cuttings, you need to allow the cuttings to dry out completely. The end that has been cut needs to scar before being planted. Dig about a four inch hole in the middle of the soil. The cuttings can be quite heavy so if four inches is not deep enough to hold the plant then dig a bit deeper. Place the cutting from the frangipani plant with the scar side down in the soil and pack the soil very firmly around it. The cuttings are quite tolerant of dry conditions so do not over water them. The plant should always be in partial to full sunlight.
The frangipani plant has quite a bit of significance depending on the country. In Laos, it is the national tree and is regarded as sacred. All Buddhist temples in Laos enjoy them planted around the courtyard. It is the national flower of Nicaragua and also Palermo, Sicily. In the Caribbean, the leaves are put to use as a healing wrap for ulcers and bruises and in Polynesian culture, the flower is worn by a woman to represent relationship status, the right ear indicates she is looking for a relationship and the left ear says that she is not. The frangipani plant is associated with love spells and in India it is a sign of immorality; it is a plant truly adored all around the world.