Plumeria rubra ‘Apricot’

The Apricot Frangipani (Plumeria rubra 'Apricot') carries warm apricot flowers shading from soft orange into yellow at the throat, with the heavy scent the genus is grown for. It makes a sculptural small tree of about 4.5m tall and 3m wide, with thick grey branches that look good bare in winter. Its shallow, non aggressive roots are why it is the standard poolside tree in warm Australian gardens.

Why you'll love it

• Scent that carries. The perfume is strongest in the evening and travels across a courtyard, so frangipani belongs near where people sit.
• Roots that behave. Shallow and non invasive, so it goes beside a pool surround, a terrace or a path without lifting anything.
• Apricot rather than the usual white. The soft orange to yellow blend is warmer and less common than the standard frangipani.
• Coastal and heat proof. Salt, heat and drought tolerant once established, covering most of what a hot exposed courtyard throws at a plant.
• Very little to do. No routine pruning, no spraying and no staking once settled.

Where it works best

Poolside and coastal gardens. Non invasive roots, salt and splash tolerance and a canopy high enough to walk under make it the obvious choice, and it holds its form in wind off the water where softer trees burn at the edges. It is deciduous, so accept a few weeks of leaf drop in winter.

Feature planting and small gardens. At 4.5m by 3m it stays in scale with a courtyard, and uplit at night the branch structure works as hard as the flowers.

Growing the apricot frangipani in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, six hours or more, or the flowering drops right off. This is a tropical, subtropical and warm temperate plant and it is frost tender. In cool temperate and inland frost districts it is not a garden tree: use a pot sheltered against a warm wall through winter.

Soil. Free draining and on the sandy side. Wet feet cause stem rot, the most common way a frangipani is lost. On clay, plant high on a mound with grit worked through.

Water and feed. Water through the warm growing season, then cut back sharply once the leaves drop, because a dormant frangipani in wet soil will rot. Feed in spring and early summer with a fertiliser low in nitrogen and higher in potassium.

Pruning. Rarely needed. Shape it in the warm dry months if a branch is in the way. Wear gloves: the milky sap is an irritant and toxic to pets, so this is not the tree for a garden where a dog chews on dropped branches.

What to expect when it arrives

This variety is grown in advanced sizes only, as 100L and 200L specimens: substantial, heavy trees with real trunk calibre, bought for immediate impact rather than to grow on. There is no tubestock option, so factor that into the budget.

Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and specimens this size are quoted for transport rather than shipped in a carton. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Expect the tree to hold for several weeks before pushing new growth, and every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Choosing between frangipani varieties
• Browse plants suited to poolside gardens
• Compare other fragrant garden plants
• See salt tolerant plants for coastal blocks

Common questions

Is it safe around dogs and cats?

No. The milky sap is toxic to pets and an irritant to skin, and dropped leaves and cuttings carry it too. Plant it where animals do not chew, and clean up prunings.

Why is my frangipani not flowering?

Usually too little sun, or too much nitrogen. It needs six hours of direct light and a feed weighted towards potassium. A recently transplanted tree may also skip a season while it settles.

Will the roots damage my pool surround or paving?

One of the few trees where the honest answer is no. The root system is shallow and non aggressive, which is why it is planted so often beside pools and paved courtyards.