Plumeria obtusa - Singapore graveyard flower is found growing in dry broadleaf evergreen formation – forest/shrubland (coppice or scrublands)...
Plumeria obtusa, also called as Singapore graveyard flower, Plumeria apiculata, Plumeria bahamensis, Plumeria barahonensis, Plumeria beatensis, Plumeria bicolor, Plumeria casildensis, Plumeria cayensis, Plumeria confusa, Plumeria cuneifolia, Plumeria estrellensis, Plumeria hypoleuca, Plumeria inaguensis, Plumeria jamaicensis, Plumeria marchii, Plumeria multiflora, Plumeria nipensis, Plumeria nivea, Plumeria obtusa var. sericifolia, Plumeria obtusa var. typica, Plumeria ostenfeldii, Plumeria parvifolia, Plumeria portoricensis, Plumeria tenorei, Plumeria versicolor, is a species of the genus Plumeria. This species was described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753.
IDENTIFY PLUMERIA OBTUSA - SINGAPORE GRAVEYARD FLOWER
Plumeria obtusa is native to Bahamas, Belize, Cayman Island, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Florida, Guatemala, Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico Southeast, Puerto Rico, Southwest Caribbean, Turks-Caicos Island. It is found growing in dry broadleaf evergreen formation – forest/shrubland (coppice or scrublands). It has widespread use in tropical landscapes around the world and is frequently associated with temples and graveyards.
It is a shrub or small tree which growing up to 5-10 meters tall with up to 20 cm in diameter trunk. The branches are thick, succulent, widely spaced and covered with knobby protuberances. Stems and leaves yield a milky sap. The leaves are dark green, leathery, obovate to oblong-obovate, up to 30 cm long, with conspicuous parallel secondary veins running from the mid-vein and clustered near the tips of the branches. The leaves are usually fall during wintertime, and new leaves emerge during or following the spring flowering period but the plant tend to retain their foliage year-round in the right climate.
Singapore graveyard flower blooms in spring, summer and fall with sweet fragrant, white, five-lobed, with a yellow center flowers in clusters at the end of the branches. The calyx has 5 unfused, greenish sepals. The corolla has 5 white (with yellow center) petals that are fused forming a tube with the lobes overlapping to one side forming a pinwheel shape. There are 5 stamens fused to the corolla tube. The ovary is superior and has two locules and many ovules. The fruit is a follicle that turns brown at maturity. The seeds have tufts of hairs at one end to assist in dispersal.
PLUMERIA OBTUSA - SINGAPORE GRAVEYARD FLOWER CARE AND CULTURE
Cultural information should only be used as a guide, and should be to be adapted to suit you. Your physical location; where you grow your plants, how much time you have to devote to their care, and many other factors, will need to be taken into account. Only then can you decide on the cultural methods that best suit you and your plants.
Light:
Plumeria obtusa thrives in bright, direct sunlight. The sunnier the area, the happier the plant will be. Insufficient amounts of sunlight will cause the plant to grow lanky with light green leaves. It can also cause only a few pale colored flowers to be produced, if any at all.
Temperature:
Singapore graveyard flower are hardy in USDA zones 10 through 12. In others zones your plant can live outside in summer and come inside for the winter. Alternately, with at least five to six hours of sunlight daily, the plant will bloom indoors. Place the plant next to a sunny window, but away from drafts caused by air conditioning vents. The plant prefer temperatures between 18 - 26 ° C. When temperatures drop below 10 ° C, the plant will drop its leaves and go dormant. They may survive a light frost but can be much less prone to flower the following season as buds are born on last season’s growth.
Humidity:
Moisture levels are important and the plant needs change as the seasons change. When in active growth, like during spring and summer, they will need average moist to moderately moist. Providing good air circulation will also help to reduce the chances for diseases or insect infestations to take hold.
Substrate and growing media:
Plumeria obtusa needs the soil mix that consist of loam and humus (organic) material, dirt and aggregates. The loam and humus with the dirt will give the mix structure and texture. This will optimize the usage of the fertilizer when given, thus enhancing the overall growth. Fast drainage is imperative, especially for younger plants. Use a substantial amount of aggregates for aeration and support for the roots–at least 30% of soil mix. Clay-type soils may be combined with store bought conditioners or potting soils.
A small amount of horticultural charcoal can be added to any of the above mixes in order to improve drainage. Also, after a sufficient amount of media has been placed in the bottom of the pot, 2-3 tablespoons of bone meal or blood meal can be mixed into the media before the rooted plant is placed in the pot.
When growing the plant as a container plant it is important to make sure that the container and root ball are heavy enough to prevent a good wind storm from blowing it over and ultimately breaking the plant. You may want to consider tying it off to a good support if that is at all in question. Plunging the container into the ground is another method where container and all are planted in the spring. This provides good support for the plant, as well as giving the roots a chance to utilize moisture and nutrients from the garden soil and still gives you an easy way to transplant it in fall with minimal shock. If planting or plunging the plant into the ground in spring you will want to wait until daytime temperatures are sufficiently warm and all danger of frost has passed.
Repot as needed in late winter, either root-pruning for planting back into the same container, or replant the intact root ball in a larger container.
Watering:
During the growing season of April through to September, a once-weekly watering is usually sufficient, unless the plant is potbound. The media should be allowed to dry out slightly between waterings. Over-watering is a common mistake, when in doubt, don't water. A thirsty plant will quickly recover, but a plant afflicted with rotting roots due to over-watering can be difficult to salvage.
When you do water, water thoroughly to fully saturate the entire root ball of the plant but remember to let the top 1” or so of soil to dry out between waterings. In late fall, once the foliage starts to drop, you can reduce watering frequency and in winter when they are completely dormant very minimal to no water is required on the deciduous types.
Fertilizer:
During the first two years of a young plant's growing season, a fertilizer formulation of 10-30-10 will be fine. The development of strong adventitious roots is very important at this stage of the plants’ life. After roots are well established, a balanced fertilizer of 20-20-20 or 13-13-13 will do fine. These fertilizers will allow the mature tree to produce larger, healthier flowers in greater numbers. It is always better to feed at a 'low and slow' rate – meaning, less than the recommended dosage over a longer period of time. One-shot highly concentrated dosages will burn the roots and in turn, eventually kill the plant.
Winter period:
Singapore graveyard flower goes through a dormant period during the winter season. It drops all of its leaves and shows no sign of external growth. However, this period of low light and low temperature enables the plant to gradually prepare itself internally for the next growing season. In early spring, a burst of new foliage will appear. The inflorescence will closely follow in late spring and through summer.
Dormancy begins at the first signs of winter, usually in early November. The leaves will turn yellow and will begin dropping off. At this time, you should stop all watering, fertilizing and any type of spraying. Due to the plant's lower rate of metabolism, the lighting may also be reduced. If possible, use a portable greenhouse to protect the plant throughout the winter. Moving a potted plant into the garage or basement will also work well. You should not repot or take the plant outside until the tips of the branches begin to push out new growth, recognized by the shiny bright green tip margins. When this period end, water and fertilizer can be back to normal level.
Dormant plant do not require watering, but it may be necessary to occasionally mist the trunk due to the lower humidity of household air over the winter. Plants placed in the kitchen or bathroom may not need misting as the higher humidity of these rooms will help prevent desiccation of the trunk. The plants should be kept at a temperature of not less than 10 ° C during the dormancy period.
Pruning:
Plumeria obtusa can be kept smaller with pruning. Most pruning is done in winter or spring before growth begins. This allows the plants to still flower in the same year although it may be later in the summer before they do. Stems that are shriveled and bent have been infested with the plumeria stem borer and should be removed back to their juncture with a main branch (or lower if there is internal discoloration) and destroyed.
Pests and diseases:
Singapore graveyard flower have few problems, but can be infested with common greenhouse pests such as white flies and mealybugs, and are very susceptible to spider mites. Insecticidal soap can be used to control these pests.
Propagation:
Plumeria obtusa are usually propagated from stem cuttings. Take 12-18 inch cuttings of leafless stem tips in spring, and allow the cut end to dry before planting. The cuttings are susceptible to rotting during the rooting process. It is advisable to dip the cutting in softwood rooting hormone containing an anti-fungicide prior to planting. The media should be reasonably sterile (no topsoil or compost) and have excellent drainage. A mixture of 2/3 Perlite to 1/3 peat moss is often used, but the potted cutting can be easily knocked over due to the light weight of this media. To overcome this problem, it is recommend to add a small amount of coarse sand or pumice to the rooting mix; the extra weight will provide stability while the cutting is rooting. It is also important that the rooting media is not too heavy, as the new roots are brittle and can break off during the transplanting process once the cutting has rooted. The cutting should be potted in a 4" pot and placed in a warm, sunny area and lightly watered once a week. After 4 to 6 weeks, a gentle tug on the cutting will confirm that rooting has taken place. Rooted cuttings can then be transplanted into a more nutritious media.
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