Singapore Frangipanis
When we started our nursery in 2007, it was common, in Queensland, for nurseries and gardeners to call the Singapore frangipani (P. obtusa) “the evergreen frangipani”.
At the time of writing this, 2025, we have a section titled “evergreen” on our home page that describes how the term “evergreen frangipani” has evolved since 2007.
The Singapore frangipani’s most attractive features are their dark glossy leaves and their flowers which have a beautiful scent, beautiful shape and magnificent traditional frangipani colours. Singapore frangipani flowers are mostly white with a yellow throat, have large rounded overlapping petals and are one of the most fragrant frangipani flowers ever.
If you are south of the tropics and looking at an evergreen frangipani 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 tropical 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.
Pudica Frangipani
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, the pudica is now often called “the evergreen frangipani”. Even though there is also a pink variation, the white pudica is also often called “the pudica frangipani” suggesting the speaker is unaware of the pink variation. A more distinguishing nickname is “the hammerhead frangipani”, named after its hammer-shaped leaves and “Everlasting Love” from its popularity as a Valentine’s Day gift.
Pink Evergreen Frangipanis
Both the obtusa and the pudica have a pink variation. The pink obtusa known as the “Petite Pink”, and the pink pudica, sometimes known as the “Bridal Bouquet”.
Two More Evergreen Frangipanis
The stenophylla (White Magic) and the Plumeria sericifolia (Cuban frangipani).
To avoid confusion, we do not call any particular frangipani “the evergreen frangipani” and try to use their unique names.