Frangipani Rust

The most common colours are white, red, pink and yellow but you can also find them in a nice sunset colour.

What is happening to my frangipani tree?

Frangipani or Plumeria is an extremely popular tree in Thailand. They are among the easiest of plants to grow if you give plenty of direct sunlight. The Frangipani like no other plant will give your garden an exotic and tropical feeling. A healthy frangipani will give you beautiful flowers all year long. The most common are white, red, pink and yellow but you can also find them in a nice sunset color.

The Plumeria requires little maintenance but one common issue that you might encounter is called “Frangipani rust.”The “Frangipani rust” or Coleosporium pluymeriae by its scientific name is a fungus that affect frangipani trees. It consists of small golden orange powdery pustules on the reverse of the leaf, which quickly cover the tree. It is the most frequent during wet season or extended periods of high humidity. The dust made of rust spore easily spread to other leaves and trees by the wind and by spraying water.

While it can kill young plants, this decease will usually not be fatal to mature trees. It will however reduce the photosynthesis and cause defoliation. The common white and yellow species seems to be the worst affected.

Prevention

• When buying the tree inspect the leaves and make sure it is rust free.
• practice good garden hygiene. Rake up fallen leaves regularly.
• Avoid watering the leaves.
• If you leave in a compound check with your neighbors as this fungus easily spread with the wind
• Choose wisely as some variety are more susceptible than others.
• Do not use any infected leaves as compost.

Treatment:

There is no known official treatment for Frangipani rust. The most common and best treatment is to remove infected leaves immediately. Do it in a soft way avoiding shaking and spreading the spores.New healthy leaves will grow back within a month.

If you see Frangipani tree without leaves, it is highly possible that the gardeners have had to treat the tree against rust.