Frangipani
Plumeria rubra
Also called Plumeria, Temple tree and Nosegay
Houseplant · FloweringIt goes DORMANT and drops every leaf in winter — that is not death, and watering it then is what actually kills it. Keep it bone dry and above 10°C from November to March, then start again when the tips move.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Hard
- Water
- Every 12 daysSoak, then bone-dry — wait until the soil is dry right through — lift the pot, it tells you.
- Light
- As much direct sun as you can give it
- Feed
- Every 30 days
- Humidity
- Low
- Hardiness
- Indoors, or out in high summer RHS H1B, to 10°C
- Size
- 2.5 m tall · 1.5 m across
- Lifecycle
- Tree
- Origin
- Central America and the Caribbean
Is it safe for pets and people?
No animal-poison authority lists this plant either way.
Nobody has checked this one against a source for us yet, so treat it as unknown rather than safe.
Neither authority names Plumeria. That is an absence and not a clean bill — and the milky sap is a known skin irritant, so gloves to prune it regardless.
Checked against ASPCA and RHS on 2026-09-22. Where a source says nothing, we say nothing.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
First signs of trouble
- A leafless plant whose branch tips have gone soft and black over winter. Losing every leaf in autumn is NORMAL; watering it while bare is what rots it, and this is how most are killed.Watered through its dormancy · disease
- Orange powder on the undersides of the leaves in late summer that comes off on a finger, with matching yellow flecks on top.Rust · disease