Plumeria Rubra, Frangipani "Half Moon Bay", 5 seeds
Plumeria rubra is a deciduous plant species belonging to the genus Plumeria.
Originally native to Mexico, Central America, Colombia and Venezuela, it has been widely cultivated in subtropical and tropical climates worldwide and is a popular garden and park plant, as well as being used in temples and cemeteries. It grows as a spreading tree to 7–8 m (23–26 ft) high and wide, and is flushed with fragrant flowers of shades of pink, white and yellow over the summer and autumn.
The common name “frangipani” comes from an Italian noble family, a sixteenth-century marquess of which invented a plumeria-scented perfume. The genus name honors Charles Plumier, who was a French monk of the Franciscan order, and a botanist.
Plumeria tolerates a wide variety of soils, from acid to alkaline and sandy to clay. These plants grow best in dry to medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun and will bloom throughout most of the year in tropical areas. They do not grow well in wet soils and in areas with temperatures below 10 °C (50 °F) during the winter seasons, the plants will stop blooming and shed their leaves.
Established plants are also very salt tolerant and tolerate even salt-laden winds. Widely available in nurseries, frangipanis are readily propagated by cuttings of branches taken in cooler months and left to dry for a week or more.
Plumeria rubra is an important crop in Hawaii, with over 14 million flowers sold to be used in leis there in 2005.
In temperate areas P. rubra must be grown under glass, in a large conservatory or similar. However it may be placed outside in a sheltered sunny spot during the summer months. In the United Kingdom it has gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.
Germination method
Sowing time: late spring outside, early spring, all year round indoors
Germination temperature: +25°C and above
Pre-Treatment: soak seeds in water overnight
Sowing mix: 1 part compost + 1 part perlite. Sow the seeds with the plump round side inside the soil leaving the "wing" sticking out of the soil.
Germination time: the seedlings will emerge in 5-14 days. If the outdoor temperature is lower them +25°C use the heat mat. You can sow a few seeds in the same pot or seed tray and transport them into individual 10-12 cm pots after they grow enough to handle, or you can sow them into individual pots or plastic/paper cups from the beginning.
I suggest spraying the soil mix with fungicide to protect future seedling from damping off, repeat after 14 days or as indicated in the instruction.
There are other methods to germinate frangipani seeds which are as successful and worth trying, like germinating seeds in water or removing the seed coat before sowing.
Water method. Take the foam tray like the one they use for meat at the supermarkets and cut the holes with the knife just big enough to push the seed through. Put the seeds inside the hole so the fat part is under the tray with the wing above it, fill container or tub with water and let your seed boat to float until germination occurs. I personally found it difficult to remove the seeds from the tray after germination without damaging them. But if you use this method often you’ll probably find your own way.
No-seed coat method. Do everything the same like in the first method but before sowing remove the seed coat. Sow the seeds in the pot covering them with soil just enough not to show, spray well with water and wait for the sprouts. What I like about it is that the seed coat won't "trap" the cotyledon as the seedlings grow (if that happened spray the seed cover with water, do not do it in a full sun).
I do not recommend covering the pots with plastic as it can cause fungal infection. Keep the soil moist but not wet. Usually it’s enough to water after sowing until germination started.