Grow Plumeria from Cuttings

Plumeria (or Frangipani or Melia) are tropical plants that are sometimes used as houseplants and often grown in yards in tropical areas. Since plumeria does not come true from seed (the young plants don’t always look like the parents), plumeria is often propagated from cuttings so the new plant is an exact clone of the parent. While growing plumeria from cuttings is a bit different from starting other types of plant cuttings it is not difficult. Here is how you can start your own plumeria cuttings.

Steps

  1. Take cuttings from plumeria with bypass pruning shears while wearing rubber or medical gloves in late winter.
    • Select newly matured shoots that are light gray-green for best results.
    • Make your cuttings 1’ to 2’ (30.5 to 61cm) long.
    • Remove any leaves, flowers or buds from the cuttings.
  2. Allow the cuttings to dry for 1 week in a warm area out of direct sunlight.
  3. Prepare the potting mix.
    • Use a mixture of 2 parts perlite to 1 part potting medium without added fertilizer and blend well.
    • Moisten the potting mixture until it holds together but is not dripping water.
  4. Fill a 6”to 8” (diameter pot with good drainage to within 1” (2.5 cm) of the pot rim with the potting mix. You need a pot for each cutting.
  5. Make a hole 5” (12.7 cm) deep and a little bigger than the diameter of your cuttings in the center of each pot. Use your finger or the handle of a trowel.
  6. Dip the bottom of each cutting into water then into rooting hormone powder and insert it in a hole you made in the planting mix.
  7. Gently firm the soil around each cutting.
  8. Cover the top of the planting medium to just below the pot rim with coarse aquarium gravel or pea gravel.
  9. Set your planted cuttings in a warm, above 60ºF (15.5ºC), sunny place where they will not be disturbed.
  10. Water lightly, 1 to 2 cups of water per pot, after 1 week and each week after until you have several new leaves on each cutting.
  11. Water until water drains from the bottom of the pot once a week after several leaves have developed.
  12. Transplant into the ground or larger pots before the plants get root bound.



Tips

  • Cuttings take about 45 days to begin growing new leaves, less time in very warm sunny areas.
  • Cuttings can be stored for several weeks.
  • Rooting hormone powder can be found in most garden stores. Cuttings will root without it if you can’t find it but it may take longer and fewer cuttings will root.
  • If a cutting turns limp before leafing out, or fails to get leaves after 3 months discard it.
  • If cuttings wilt after leafing out there could be too much or too little water. If the pot feels dry water it, if it feels wet withhold water and make sure it drains well.
  • Cuttings could be taken but root best in spring.

Warnings

  • The sap of plumeria causes skin irritation. Wear gloves when handling freshly made cuttings and keep your hands away from your eyes.
  • Avoid moving or jostling of rooting cuttings. Too much movement of the cutting will result in the cutting failing to root.
  • Do not jam cuttings into the potting mix. This will injure the growing points along the cutting. Make a hole with your finger or something else and insert the cutting.

Things You’ll Need

  • Rubber or medical gloves
  • Bypass pruning shears
  • Pots
  • Rooting compound
  • Potting soil
  • Perlite
  • Coarse aquarium or pea gravel

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Sources and Citations

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