A Gardener’s Diary
For longer ago than I care to remember the Frangipani has been one of my favourite tropical trees.
It is also called the Pagoda tree, and the Temple tree. It is quite a small, low spreading semi-succulent tree with milky latex which is found throughout the world but which came originally from the American tropics.
There is no doubt that it flowers best during dry weather when it is almost bare of leaves, is highly tolerant of sea breezes, and in the far east is invariably planted near or around Buddhist temples, hence one of its popular names, I suspect coined in Sri Lanka (Ceylon).
Frangipani, genus Plumeria is heavily fragrant, and more or less easily propagated. Stems are what are called bifurcated; that is they divide into two more or less equal parts from the same point.
I have qualified the easily propagated. The ends of these divided branches can be about 9 to 12 inches in length, and easily broken off as propagating material. And of course they bleed their white latex. The important thing is not to stick them into rooting medium straightaway, but to put them in sheltered place and leave them alone for several weeks. It doesn’t matter if they are in full sun so long as they are dry. This helps to stop the flow of latex, and allows some healing to occur. After this they can be inserted in a light sandy/loam medium at the proportion of 75% to 25% ideally singly into five-inch pots. After several weeks they will have started rooting, and in a couple of months can be potted off into standard well-drained potting compost; still using the original five-inch pot, and taking care not to damage the young newly formed roots.
Another tree with gorgeous flowers is the Flame tree or the Flamboyante, which is planted extensively throughout the city. It bears tremendous sprays of scarlet (mostly) or orange/yellow flowers. Like the Frangipani, the Flamboyante is found throughout the world in the tropics, but our interest lies in the fact that it is a tree used extensively throughout our major city to line our streets. There seems to be little doubt that it is perfectly suited to this purpose.
Now in the Far East it is also known as the Golden Mohur; the flowers named after the Indian gold coin. In Georgetown the flowers are nearly always scarlet but occasionally orange. Originally Delonix regia came to the world from Madagascar and there are in truth two distinct varieties. The more widely grown being the scarlet and the less common orange.
I was once the owner of two of these trees, but one outgrew the space available to it. The remaining one; with the competition for water and nutrition had been removed started to take over, and eventually the roots started lifting the concrete path. Severing the roots saved the path but did nothing for the health of the tree, and it gradually started to decline. In order to help it I started to remove the largest of the branches, and this did in fact help; at least for awhile.
The main beneficiary was that the tree was host to both blue and white Indian lilac, amongst the most beautiful climbers in the tropics. I have seen the blue form growing along the rivers in Guyana. Not many I have to admit, but sufficient to reassure me that its survival is not under threat.
One of the really enchanting things about our tropical trees, more than I have mentioned so far is that they all seem to attract humming birds, and in my own garden many more of our more colourful birds as well, such as the blue saki, a pair of which I have living nearby if the frequency of their visits is anything to go by. All of you take the greatest care, and may your God go with you.