How to Grow Frangipani from a Cutting

Frangipani trees are true stars of the summer months, lending a tropical look and heavenly fragrance to Australian gardens. They love tropical, subtropical and warm-temperate coastal conditions, and with a little extra attention to microclimate, it’s even possible to grow them in cooler and inland regions.

Why Propagate Frangipanis?

A big plus for Frangipani fans is that they’re easy to grow from cuttings, which means you can create a second plant from an established specimen. This is best done in late spring or early summer.

Steps to Grow Frangipani from a Cutting

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Begin by making sure your parent tree is healthy and disease-free. Once you’ve done that, go ahead and choose a firm, healthy stem to propagate. Ideally, the base of your cutting should be mature wood, so give young stems a miss.
2. Using sharp secateurs, take a cutting of around 15-50cm, then remove the flowers and most of the leaves.
3. Leave the cutting in a dry, well-ventilated position until the base of the stem has dried out. This can take up to four weeks, depending on the climate.
4. When this base is dry, plant the cutting into a pot of coarse sand, then water about once a week until it takes root. New leaves are good indicators of root growth.
5. The new plant can then be transplanted into your desired growing position - either directly into the ground in some sandy soil with good drainage, or in a pot of well-drained potting mix. For longer cuttings, a support stake may be useful.

Caring for Your Frangipani

Be aware that Frangipanis dislike overwatering, making them drought tolerant and great for waterwise gardening. Water when the soil feels dry to the touch (about once a week in summer), and skip it altogether over winter. Don’t have a mature tree to take a cutting from? Looking for a particular flower colour? Garden Express has a fantastic range of Frangipani varieties ready to grace your garden with a touch of the tropics.