How to Grow Plumeria Cuttings Like a Pro

A lovely and highly fragrant tropical shrub, plumeria, (Plumeria spp.) is easy to grow from cuttings and a rewarding project for growing an indoor/outdoor potted plant in temperate zones.

Commonly called frangipani, it’s native to the tropical Americas with long-blooming, five-petaled flowers in white, yellow, pink, red, orange, and bicolor widely used to make Hawaiian leis. Branches are grayish brown with long, leathery, or fleshy green leaves.

To propagate this small shrub at home, choose a large pot and follow these steps.

How to Propagate Plumeria

Plumeria grown from cuttings take from one to three years to flower. Here’s how to get started with the best method for propagating plumeria.

You’ll need a clean, sharp hand pruner, one to three gallon pots with good drainage, potting medium, and rooting hormone. Plumeria produces a sticky sap so gloves are recommended.

1. Cuttings may be taken any time of year but spring cuttings consistently give good results. Working with a larger, mature plant gives more immediate results with cuttings that root faster and bloom earlier.
2. 8 to 12 inches in length is the appropriate size for a propagation cutting. Multiple branches regrow from the point of separation so make your cut just below a bare leaf node which looks like a small notch or bump along the branch. To take cuttings from a ‘Y’ shaped branch with multiple growth tips, make the cut below a leaf node about one inch above where the branch meets the main stem. This leaves a good growth point for the plant to develop additional branching.
3. Branches with straight upright growth should be pruned at a slight angle to avoid water accumulation in the cut on the mother plant which can cause rot. For all other branches that grow at an angle, make cuts straight across the branch.
4. Remove the foliage. Small leaves growing at the very tip can be left on the cutting. Leaves are easily pulled off by hand. If you are working with a ‘Y’ shaped branch that has several 8- to 10-inch growing tips, you can cut them apart to propagate as individual cuttings.
5. Set cuttings aside for a minimum of three days and up to three weeks. Initially, the cut end will run a milky sap so lay it on its side on paper in a warm, dry location. This allows the cut ends to develop a callous and prevents rotting after transplanting. Calloused cuttings may last for months, but transplanting as soon as the cut end develops a complete protective covering gives better results. Cuttings placed in sand or dipped in root hormone callous more quickly.

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How to Transplant Plumeria Cuttings

Depending on the size of your cutting, choose a pot at least one gallon in size. Use three-gallon pots for larger cuttings and provide plenty of drainage holes.

These plants require excellent drainage so fill the container with a 50-50 mix of quality potting soil and perlite. Cactus potting soil also works well as a growing medium for plumeria.

Dip the calloused end of the cutting in water then in hormone growth powder to cover about 1 inch of the bottom.

Place it in the pot so the cut end sits about 2 inches from the bottom of the container. Large cuttings may require some type of support to keep them stabilized.

Water the cutting thoroughly and place the pot in a warm location that receives plenty of indirect light. Let the soil dry out between waterings. Oversaturation causes the cutting to rot.

Root development relies on warmth so providing bottom heat, particularly in cooler climates, can accelerate growth. New leaves should begin to emerge in two to four months indicating a root ball has formed.

Move the plumeria into a partly sunny location and water every three days with several cups of water. Always allow excess water to drain away.

Plumeria thrives in sun to part shade with mature plants requiring about six hours of direct sunlight daily.