How to Care for Plumeria in Winter?

Southern Blooms Nursery 2022 education blogs are here to help you understand the best methods of exotic plant care including plumeria so you can see beautiful flowers bloom.

In order to see plumeria flowers bloom, they have to survive, so this is why we’ve created this definitive guide to caring for your plumeria in winter.

Known widely for their use as the Hawaiian leis flowers, plumeria produce a stunning flower that emit beautiful fragrances from each flower. However, we won’t get to experience their beauty if they die during the colder months. Plumeria are delicate during winter; most susceptible to dying when temperatures get to freezing point at 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 Celsius). It does not matter if it is a new cutting or a mature tree, either way the tips of the plant can freeze, rot, and be damaged or even killed by the fungus that forms. 

Use the information below to best protect your plumeria during the coming winter months.

How to protect plumeria during winter?

If temperatures are predicted to drop to 32 Fahrenheit or 0 Celsius (Freezing point), be proactive to protect them. Keep the plant/s covered in an area under the thick protection of an Oak tree or clusters of trees. 

Southern Blooms Plant Nursery has had great success in protecting our plumeria by digging out our large trees and placing them on the ground under the oak trees during the winter months.

If the plumeria is too big, simply cover it the night before. Make sure to select a cloth material – a bed sheet will do fine. If you can’t find a sheet at home, you can get cheap cloth covers from Lowe’s, Home Depot and other general hardware stores. Cloth cover techniques will act as a sort of greenhouse keeping heat in and around the plant. You may need weights to keep the cloth pinned down so the wind does not blow the sheet away. Once temperatures climb above freezing sheets can be removed.

NOTE: Plastic can be used but only if placed over the plumeria with no contact, for example a greenhouse.

Watering Plumeria in Winter

Another important fact to remember is plumerias are dormant in the winter. No leaves and flowers means they do not require water in most cases. Potted plumeria that are transported indoors during winter do not need to be watered but plants in the landscape or sunny areas with sandy soil should be watered at least once every 2 weeks.

Following the winter months or after flowering in mid-summer, it’s recommended that you trim your plumeria. If cuttings are taken in the winter time it could promote new growth that is tender and very susceptible to cold temperatures. Cuttings will generally not root in the winter time.

Keep coming back to our website for further useful information on optimizing your plant/s growth potential and longevity.