Evergreen Frangipanis

In recent decades, in Queensland, nurseries and gardeners have nicknamed the Singapore frangipani (P. obtusa) “the evergreen frangipani”. The Singapore frangipani’s most attractive features are their dark glossy leaves and their beautiful flowers. Singapore frangipani flowers are mostly white with a yellow throat, have large rounded overlapping petals and have a strong and pleasant scent.

If you are south of the tropics and looking at an evergreen frangipani in a pot in the middle of winter, it’s likely to have no leaves. It seems like a contradiction but evergreen plants, by definition, retain their leaves throughout the winter in warm climates, which means they may or may not lose their leaves in cooler climates.

While it’s not easy to take our frangipanis and live in a warmer climate, we can choose the most suitable position and create a warmer microclimate which can improve the health and appearance of frangipanis dramatically.

In recent years, the Everlasting Love frangipani (P. pudica) has become a popular addition to Australian gardens. Even though the Singapore held the title first, this pudica is often called the evergreen frangipani. Even though there is also a pink variation, it’s also often called the pudica frangipani. A more distinguishing nickname is the hammerhead frangipani, named after its hammer-shaped leaves.

In addition to the Singapore and the Everlasting Love frangipanis, there are other evergreen frangipanis such as the pink obtusa (Petite Pink), the pink pudica (sometimes known as Bridal Bouquet), the stenophylla (White Magic) and the Plumeria sericifolia.

To avoid confusion, we do not call any particular frangipani “the evergreen frangipani” and try to use their unique names.

We are currently growing about 7 and selling three species of evergreen frangipanis.