Category: Suitability

After a frangipani becomes a large tree, it can make a great tree for kids to climb on however if a frangipani branch bends a little too much, it will suddenly and completely snap off. It’s wise to not let kids climb on thin frangipani branches or let kids climb so high that the branches bend too much.

Frangipanis have relatively small root systems and are non-aggressive. They can be planted near swimming pools, water tanks and in planter boxes.

Some people might have an allergic reaction to frangipani sap however most people will not feel any effects of getting sap on their skin.

You will usually not feel any discomfort even if you get frangipani sap in your mouth or eyes but you should wash it out before it hardens.

There is more of a danger with young children or animals who might choose to chew on a frangipani branch sucking the sap out for and extended period of time.

I  have heard one story from a person whose dog was alone in the backyard. The dog chewed and ate quite a bit of frangipani wood but never got sick afterwards.

 

There is a range of opinions on this subject however from personal experience I often get a drop of milky sap in my mouth or eye when pruning a high frangipani branch. To be on the safe side, I always wash my eye or mouth out with water. Having said that, the taste is not too bad and I’ve never felt sick afterwards.

When cutting off numerous high frangipani branches, I often get sap run all down my arms. If I keep working a few hours, when I take a shower later, I find the sap has dried like glue and it’s very difficult to get off with just soap and water.

If you wash the frangipani sap off your skin with water before it dries, it comes off easily. Sometimes I’m too busy or there is no nearby tap so spreading it out and rubbing it into the skin makes it easy to wash later

Alexander July writes on her flower benefits blog that frangipani sap can be used to rub onto the skin to stop inflammation, used to cover dental cavities and even used in a drink mixture.

 

There is a big variation in the growth of frangipanis. Established frangipanis in the ground, in a hothouse and in a tropical climate can produce up to a metre growth on each branch tip.

On the other extreme, a frangipani in a pot or bag which is under watered  and in poor soil might only produce a centimetre on each branch.

Frangipanis usually grow to a height of 5 or 6 metres. They can grow taller, up to 8 metres, with both fertile soil and a tropical climate.

Frangipanis which grow too tall are often cropped, which means they are cut back to a 1 or 2 metre stump and allowed to start growing again.

There are dwarf and semi-dwarf frangipanis which for example have a maximum height of around 3 metres and a  width of around 4 metres.

 

Frangipanis can grow for more than 80 years and possibly reach 100. I know of a frangipani tree in Brisbane which is older than the house beside it and the house was built 90 years ago.

A useful suggestion is to wander around your neighbourhood. If you see a frangipani tree every few houses or more often, you can be sure frangipanis will grow will in your area.

If there are some frangipanis in your area but not too many, take notice of where they are positioned and how well they are growing.

If you cannot find any frangipani trees in your area, it probably means your winter mornings are too cold for them to grow outside in the ground. However, if you have enough passion, frangipani plants can be grown in pots in the coldest of snowy locations.

Read more about the natural and ideal conditions for frangipanis.