Dropping leaves on Frangipani is a good way to tell if your plumeria is still alive.

There is a flower that originated in Mexico and Central America.Plumeria spp.According to the Missouri Botanical Garden, plumeria thrives in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10 through 12.The plumeria tree blooms much of the year in the tropics, but when temperatures fall below 50 degrees, the leaves are dropped and the plants are not active.

According to the University of Wisconsin-Madison Master Gardener Program, Plumeria obtusa produces white flowers with yellow centers and variable forms.Plumeria rubra has fragrant five-petaled pink or red flowers that can reach up to 4 inches across.White, yellow, orange, bicolored or multicolored are the colors of Plumeria rubra cultivars.There are 11 species of Plumeria and hundreds of named varieties of shrubs and small trees.White flowers like Plumeria obtusa are evergreen.

The canopy of plumeria trees can be up to 25 feet when grown in sandy soil.When temperatures fall below 50 degrees, plumeria will go dormant.According to North Dakota State University, growing plumeria in pots is an option for gardeners in colder climates.Pots must be taken inside during winter.When warm weather returns, return the pots to a sunny location by maintaining temperatures between 50 and 55 degrees.

At the end of the branches, Plumeria produces leaves and flowers.The bark is easy to damage.Plumeria can cause irritation to eyes and skin.It forms new branches after being injured.

UC Master Gardeners consider plumeria to be a summer-growing, winter-dormant plant.According to the University of New Hampshire Extension, winter dormancy can be signaled by lower sun angles, shorter days and decreasing temperatures.plumeria plants bloom much of the year in tropical areas.When temperatures fall below 50 degrees, plumeria ceases to grow and bloom, and deciduous varieties lose their leaves.

Lower temperatures and shorter daylight hours lead to winter dormancy.Plants and plumeria lose leaves when they stop producing leaves.Plants need less water and cooler temperatures when they are not active.According to Plumeria Today, warmer temperatures influence the emergence of a plumeria more than the length of night.

As spring arrives, dormant plumeria plants should come back to life.Prune before plumeria plants leaf out in the spring.High-nitrogen and high-phosphorus fertilization will take place in March and May, respectively.Reducing watering in the late summer will encourage dormancy.Plants can rest and be rejuvenated for the next season.