Feast your senses

Gorgeous looks, divine fragrance… frangipanis have it all.

Frangipani. Picture: Kim Woods Rabbidge

Frangipani flowers evoke summer, tropical holidays, relaxation and sunshine. No wonder they’re such a popular motif on everything from clothing to homewares.

The classic frangipani (Plumeria rubra var. acutifolia) has fragrant white flowers with a yellow centre that cluster over a spreading tree from early summer to autumn. These are deciduous trees that some call ugly when the branches are bare in winter, but I rather like their sturdy, sculptural form. They give cooling summer shade but let the winter sun shine through.

Their happy place is against a north or west masonry wall that soaks up and stores heat – frangipanis are one of the few trees you can safely plant close to houses because they have small, well-behaved root systems. They’re not fussy about soil as long as it drains freely, and are a good choice poolside, as their large leaves are easy to scoop out in the short period they fall. On the downside, frangipanis are so slow growing you need to be forward thinking when planting one.

Yellow and white frangipani flowers

In Australia, we’re fortunate to be able to grow frangipanis in all but the coldest places. Originally from central America, they’re best with plenty of sun in warm to hot climates. They tolerate drought, salt, coastal exposure, tropical drenchings and light frosts, and they resist fire. In cooler areas they need a warm, protected microclimate.

Pink frangipani. Picture: Kim Woods Rabbidge

There’s much more to the frangipani story than the common white-and-yellow flowered trees. Worldwide, there are thousands of different frangipani varieties, including evergreen, compact and upright growing types. Colours range from pure whites to yellow, peach and apricot shades, pinks and deep reds. There are tricolours in sunset tones, and some flowers change colour as they age. More recent are lilac and lavender, with black on the wishlist.

Frangipani. Picture: Kim Woods Rabbidge

Evergreens such as Singapore frangipani (Plumeria obtusa) aren’t evergreen outside the tropics, but others such as P. caracasana and P. bahamiensis are. Steven Prowse of Sacred Garden Frangipanis in Queensland is a world leader in breeding evergreen varieties that are smaller, more cold tolerant, faster growing and resistant to rust disease. “We believe this is the way of the future,” says Prowse. “It will enable frangipanis to be grown around the world, especially in smaller city gardens and pots.” He estimates it takes five to seven years to develop a new variety, adding that he is getting close to his holy grail of a dark red flower on a semi-dwarf, evergreen tree.

Frangipani. Picture: Kim Woods Rabbidge

Frangipanis are expensive because they’re slow-growing, but they transplant readily (winter is best) and grow easily from cuttings. If a big tree is being pruned or removed, you can take cuttings up to 2-3m tall to get an instant tree. Always ask permission if you want a piece of a tree whose particular colour you admire.

You can take cuttings any time, including summer, but the ideal time is late winter before the sap starts to flow. They can be any length, but tall cuttings need secure staking for a few years so developing roots aren’t disturbed. Dry cuttings in shade for a few weeks to form callus tissue, from which new roots grow. To avoid rotting, plant into sandy propagating mix and only water when the soil dries out.

Specialist frangipani growers offer hundreds of different varieties by mail order.

A flowering frangipani tree. Picture: Kim Woods Rabbidge

Good to know

Frangipani buds are folded spirally, unfurling to reveal five waxy petals. Fragrance varies according to flower colour, climate and soil, and can be stronger at certain times of the day or night. They grow well in pots, having compact roots and low water needs. Mix half coarse sand or perlite and half potting mix. Treat the first signs of rust pustules on leaves with a fungicide; collect and destroy affected leaves. The milky sap of frangipanis can irritate skin. Avoid contact with lips and eyes.

Q&A

What would grow in a pot on a partly covered east-facing balcony with strong sea breezes, to provide privacy from a 1.5-2m high window? Sam Boland, Melbourne

Possible shrubs are Indian hawthorn (Rhaphiolepis x intermedia), murraya and riberry (Syzygium luehmannii). Turn the pot fortnightly so growth is not one-sided. You could train star jasmine on a frame. Plants under cover get dusty, which attracts pests, so spray over the foliage every week or so.

Impatiens have always been part of my summer colour in pots but why do they suddenly lose their leaves, stop flowering and go translucent? Jane Molesworth, by email

Downy mildew of impatiens arrived here in 2006, decimating these plants. Worst in high humidity, it causes leaf fall, stunting, poor flowering and often death. The spores are spread by water splash and wind; it can infect seed and can survive in soil for years. Treat early symptoms or spray preventatively with mancozeb or a copper spray. ‘Beacon’ impatiens are resistant to this disease.

Around my property I’d prefer a beautiful, tall hedge to fencing. What grows fastest and most thickly? It’s mainly sunny on granite soil near the coast. Stuart Sykes, Encounter Bay, SA Thick hedges are a result of frequent light pruning from the get-go. Fastest growing are sweet viburnum (V. odoratissimum), which needs water for its large lush leaves, and varieties of Pittosporum tenuifolium such as ‘James Stirling’ and ‘Silver Song’. Silverberry (Elaeagnus) is coastal tough with silvery leaves. For natives, Grevillea olivacea, G. pinaster and G. ‘Flora Mason’ are fast but not as long-lived. Southern cypress pine (Callitris gracilis) is a local native but not as fast-growing.

Send your questions to: [e-mail] or Helen Young, PO Box 3098, Willoughby North, NSW 2068. Website: helenyoung.com.au. The best question for December/January wins a Nylex retractable 20m hose reel worth $149.