Frangipani

Growing in Pots, Balconies & Indoors

Frangipani (frangipani) is a tropical tree grown for its intensely fragrant flowers. In the ground it reaches 3-8 m (10-24 ft), so it is far too large and light-hungry to be an ordinary room houseplant – but it is a superb container plant, kept compact in a pot on a hot, sunny patio and brought indoors, leafless and dormant, to ride out a cold winter.

Quick Details

• Container Size: Start young plants small and pot on to about 20-40 L (5-10 gal); the pot keeps the tree dwarfed
• Indoor Suitability: Too large and sun-loving to flower as a room houseplant, but it overwinters indoors dormant (grower: not a houseplant)
• Best Spot: Full sun and heat – the hottest, brightest spot you have
• Soil & Drainage: Very free-draining, gritty mix – a cactus or succulent mix, or potting mix with plenty of perlite and grit
• Watering in Pots: Water freely while growing, then keep nearly dry when cool or dormant; it rots easily if kept wet

Indoors & On the Windowsill

• Not a room houseplant: The grower marks it unsuitable as a houseplant – in low indoor light it will not flower and grows leggy.
• Overwintering indoors: This is the main reason to pot it. Before the first frost, move the pot to a cool, bright, frost-free spot; it drops its leaves and rests, so water it only very sparingly until growth restarts in spring.
• Waking up: As warmth and light return, resume watering and feeding, then move it back outside once nights are reliably warm.

On a Balcony or Patio

• Light & heat: It thrives in full sun and the reflected heat from walls and paving; a hot, sheltered balcony is ideal.
• Weight & wind: A large pot is heavy – stand it on a wheeled base to move it under cover – and shelter the brittle branches from strong wind.

Choosing the Pot, Soil & Long-Term Care

• Pot & drainage: Terracotta suits it well, as it breathes and dries fast; use strong drainage holes and skip a standing water saucer – wet feet cause rot.
• Potting mix: A very free-draining, gritty mix – cactus/succulent mix, or potting mix with generous perlite and grit.
• Feeding: Feed through the growing season with a high-potassium (bloom) feed; pot nutrients leach, so feed regularly while in active growth and stop as it goes dormant.
• Repotting: Pot on every two to three years and root-prune to keep it compact and manageable in its container.

Safety

• Irritant sap: The milky sap can irritate skin and eyes and is toxic if eaten – wear gloves when pruning, wash hands afterwards, and keep it away from children and pets.

Bloom & Flower Guide

Quick Details

• Bloom Season: Spring to summer, through the warm months
• Flower Appearance: Fragrant, five-petalled flowers in purple, pink, yellow, white, orange or red, usually with a yellow throat; some cultivars blend more than one colour
• Edibility: Ornamental only – the milky sap is toxic and can irritate skin and eyes, and the flowers are not eaten

Detailed Blooming Overview

Frangipani is a deciduous tropical shrub or small tree grown above all for its perfumed flowers, which are carried in clusters at the branch tips through spring and summer. The scent is famously rich and sweet, and tends to be strongest in the evening.

Flower Characteristics

• Five waxy, overlapping petals, most often with a warm yellow centre.
• Colours span purple, pink, yellow, white, orange and red, and some varieties show more than one colour in a single bloom.
• Borne in showy terminal clusters and prized for a heady perfume that carries on warm evenings.

Bloom Care & Thinning

• Sun and warmth: Flowers most freely in full sun and consistent warmth.
• Encouraging bloom: A drier, cooler winter rest helps set up the next flush of flowers.
• Handling: The sap is a skin and eye irritant, so wear gloves when cutting or pruning.