Bring A Touch Of Hawaii To Your Lawn By Planting This Gorgeous Low-Maintenance Tree

If you've ever been to Hawaii, you might've gotten a traditional lei made of sweet smelling flowers with five petals in white, yellow, red, or pink. These flowers are called frangipani (Plumeria spp.), and bloom on flowering trees that can grow up to 20 feet tall. They're typically found in tropical regions like Hawaii, Mexico, the Caribbean islands, and northern South America, but if you live in a warm climate, you can grow this low-maintenance tree in your lawn.

Frangipani trees bring a tropical, Hawaiian touch to your yard with beautiful colors and a heady scent. Frangipanis, like other plants that grow in USDA zone 10, do best growing in zones 10 to 12 if they're planted outside, and are both salt-tolerant and drought-resistant, as they're considered succulent plants. However, they still need occasional drinks of water during dry spells to keep their blossoms fresh. Frangipani flowers have a sweet scent which  is reminiscent of jasmine, citrus, and peaches, depending on the variety. The fragrance is strongest at night to attract moths, which are its main pollinators. Although they prefer temperatures of between 80 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit during the day, and dropping no lower than 60 degrees Fahrenheit at night, you can still grow a frangipani tree inside if your climate is not consistently warm.

Frangipani trees are among a variety of different flowering trees which might be perfect for your yard, especially if you don't like a lot of maintenance. They only have a few requirements: lots of sunlight, occasional watering, and a high phosphorus fertilizer. However, in the winter they won't need to be watered or fed because they'll be dormant. If you're planting a frangipani tree in the ground, make sure to cover it with a frost cloth if your temperatures threaten to dip below 50 degrees, or move it inside during the colder months. The tree won't need trimming, but you can prune the branches in the warmer growing season to maintain its shape.

If you've decided on keeping your frangipani tree indoors, plant it in a container or a pot so it can live its best life and place it next to a window with plenty of sun. Make sure you choose a medium to large pot that has plenty of drainage holes and fill it with a cactus potting soil . Be prepared to transplant it to a larger container if needed, as the tree can grow between 6 and 8 feet tall under cultivation. Be careful if you have pets or children as well, because the milky sap from cut flowers, leaves, and stems is toxic to both animals and people if ingested. Plus, it can irritate sensitive skin upon contact.