Plumeria rubra - Frangipani

Plumeria rubra, known to all travellers by its common name of Frangipani, is a large shrub or small tree with a wide distribution in the tropics. It forms a plant that can reach 8 m (26ft) in height or more, often as wide as it is tall when in a shrub form. Its succulent branches are very characteristic, as are its large elliptical green leaves. It is its fragrant flowers, however, that makes it standout, with beautiful flowers with 5 petals of various colours depending on the varieties. Not hardy in our climate, it will have to be grown in a container to be protected as soon as temperatures drop. It will then form a bush up to 3 m (10ft) high, which requires a suitable and bright place.

Frangipani belongs to the large family Apocynaceae, which includes about 350 genera and 5000 species, most of which are found in tropical and subtropical areas. However, some genera also grow in Mediterranean regions, such as Oleander (Nerium oleander) or Carissa, and even in temperate zones, such as Periwinkles (Vinca) or Dregea sinensis, a climbing plant with fragrant flowers. These are often toxic plants, many of which contain latex, but some are also used for medicinal purposes. Many genera are ornamental and planted in tropical gardens, such as Thevetia, the tropical equivalent of our Oleander, or Allamanda cathartica with its yellow trumpet-shaped flowers.
The Plumeria genus includes 7 species (or 8 according to classifications do not recognize P. acuminata as a synonym of P. rubra), native to subtropical and tropical regions of America, and which have been planted under the same climates in Africa and Asia, becoming almost a symbol of the tropics. 

Plumeria rubra often forms large bushes with a flattened dome-shaped top, as wide as the total height of the plant, and from a distance can look like a giant rhododendron to an inexperienced traveller. It can also take a more upright and tree-like form and reach up to 8 m (26ft) in height. Whilst advertisers adopt it to give a tropical beauty image to shampoos, it can have a very different image in some Asian countries. For example, in the Philippines, the Kalachuchi as it is called is associated with death because it is traditionally planted near cemeteries. But since Filipinos don't like to be sad, they also plant it as an ornamental tree in their gardens and use it to make necklaces.
Outside the tropics, it will never reach these dimensions because you will have to grow it in a container, which will limit its size to 2.50 m (8ft) or 3 m (10ft). Frangipani is easily recognizable by its large, leathery, obovate to elliptical and acuminate leaves, measuring up to 30 cm (12in) long or more and 10 to 15 cm (4 to 6in) wide, with veins (perpendicular to the stem) that are easily recognizable. After 4 to 5 years, it will produce magnificent single flowers with 5 petals, white, yellow, pink or red, or even bicoloured depending on the variety, exuding a delicious fragrance reminiscent of certain jasmines. Blooming from June to September, the flowers are certainly the main asset of this plant, as the leaves are toxic.
Frangipani needs a lot of light, even under the tropics it grows in full sun! After winter, when nighttime temperatures rise above 10°C (50°F) - it can tolerate occasional temperatures as low as 5°C (41°F) - , you can place it outside on your patio.  However, be careful to expose it gradually because even if you have wintered it in a very bright room, it may  become scorched if you place it immediately under the bright rays of the sun. As temperatures increase, you will need to increase the frequency of watering, but without overdoing it to avoid drowning the roots. It is best to let the soil dry out a bit between waterings. In winter, of course, you will need to water much less often, (allowing the soil to dry out well between every two waterings).
Fertilize regularly to encourage flowering, with dilute liquid fertilizer and applying it every other or every third watering when flowers are in full bloom.

Frangipani is a magnificent plant, but you can only adopt it if you have a heated conservatory or a large, very bright room, otherwise it may wither due to lack of light. In these conditions, it will give you an exotic feel, mainly during the summer, because in winter, it does not have great ornamental interest. In summer, you can place it on your patio or along a path, in front of a group of plants with a tropical appearance but which are hardy enough to survive the winter outside. A group of Japanese Banana Trees (Musa basjoo) will be perfect, as well as a beautiful palm tree like Butia capitata with slightly bluish arching leaves, or in milder regions, Syagrus romanzzofiana resembling a Coconut Tree but tolerant of light frost.