Frangipanis

Many Australians associate frangipani trees with tropical holiday destinations. Frangipanis grow very well in tropical climates, have colourful and beautifully scented flowers and help guests have a relaxing and stress releiving holiday.

While many Australian adults (men?) would not know a frangipani flower from a bromeliad, many Australian adults (women?) remember growing up with frangipani trees in their yards or surrounding neighbourhood. Frangipanis do not always have flowers and we are often too far to notice their scent, but sometimes people are lucky enough to catch their scent and when we do, it can be an unforgettable moment.

“Whenever I smell the scent of a frangipani flower, I’m reminded of the backyard of the house where I grew up. From that memory, I can recall many precious moments with my family, friends and relatives. I want my children to have the same.”

A Frangipani Tree Customer

Some people, more likely those who have grown up in a cold climate, would be surprised to know there are more than several frangipani flower colours. Besides the common white (yellow centre) and the common pink (orange centre), frangipani flowers come in hundreds and possibly thousand of colour variations. The prettiest and the most unusual have been given names (some registered and some not) and have been enthusiastically propagated and replicated. See a list of our frangipani varieties.

Many Australians would be surprised to hear that there is more than one type of frangipani. This is not so unexpected for people living in Melbourne and even Sydney where one frangipani species, the hardiest variety, grows much more abundantly than the other species. The hardiest variety of frangipani is know as the rubra (roo-bra). As you go north and the climate becomes warmer, the choice to grow other frangipani species becomes easier. In Northern Australia, especially near the coast where climates are warmer and winter nights are less harsh, numerous frangipani species can be found.

Evergreen Frangipanis

Many people in Queensland have heard of “the evergreen frangipani“ but do not know much about it, or them. In the past, almost all people who used the term “evergreen frangipani” were talking about the Plumeria obtusa (P. obtusa) which has a large white flower with a yellow centre. We call this white obtusa, the “Singapore frangipani”. In recent years, with its increase in popularity, a number of people who use the term “evergreen frangipani” are thinking of the hammerhead frangipani which is known as Plumeria pudica or Everlasting Love. Also, we’ve recently discovered a very rare and unusual frangipani, Plumeria cubensis, that actually remains bushier than all the “other evergreen frangipani species” throughout the winter.

The terms Plumeria and frangipani are synonymous. In many countries, including the USA, many people know the word “plumeria” but have never heard of “frangipani”. In Australia, many people use the colloquial term “frangipani” but do not know the word “plumeria”.

Professional and horticulturalists in Australian usually prefer to use the botanical name “Plumeria” when discussing frangipani species. For example, they would say or write Plumeria obtusa more than Frangipani obtusa. In this example, it can also be abbreviated to P. obtusa.

Plumeria, or frangipani, is a small genus of plants in which there are only a few common species. Many languages, especially those spoken in tropical countries, use neither frangipani nor plumeria and have their own word.

Frangipanis have evolved in hot dry climates so that’s where they’re best suited. They have an amazing ability to get moisture from dry soil and retain it. In Australia, many areas can experience hot and very dry summers which can destroy gardens and lawns however established frangipanis can survive and even thrive in these tough conditions.

Frangipanis are easily damaged in cold winter nights and frosty mornings. This damage often heals over but sometimes rot can occur which can sometimes spread and can sometimes even be fatal. This is more likely to happen if the frangipani is small, if the position is poor and the climate is colder. The hardiest frangipani species fortunately has the biggest variety of flower colours.

We select our best quality and best value frangipanis to sell first. The rest of our frangipanis are stored in sections which we call our “production areas”. Luckily, our frangipanis in our production areas grow bigger and stronger each year so we have frangipanis with quality and value becoming available each year.

By looking at our frangipani trees online, you can quickly see photos, measurements and prices of our best available frangipani trees. It’s our hope that browsing and ordering on our online shop is intuitive and fun. Please see our other page for more information about buying frangipanis online.