Plumeria leaves turn yellow if the plant is overwatered. Plumeria leaves also turn yellow when the plant gets less water than needed. Plumeria leaves turn a rusty-yellow due to a fungal disease called Plumeria rust. Plumeria foliage also turns yellow if there’s an infestation of sap-sucking insects.
Plumeria is the genus of a plant that’s also called Frangipani. The plant gives out a nice aroma making it an ideal indoor plant.
Plumeria is a shrub/small tree that is grown for its beautiful blossoms. The flowers arise out of a bunch of leaves.
Bottom leaves turning yellow on Plumeria
The bottom leaves of Plumeria turn yellow if the plant has been sitting in waterlogged conditions for too long. The bottom leaves of Plumeria also turn yellow if the plant is getting less water than needed.
What does an Overwatered Plumeria look like?
Leaves of an overwatered Plumeria turn yellow initially. The wrinkled, yellow leaves turn brown if they sit in waterlogged conditions for too long.
The leaves become droopy/wilt if your Plumeria gets too much water. Prolonged exposure to such conditions leads to root rot/stem rot.
In the case of root rot, the roots become brown and mushy. Dig out the plant and check the health of its roots, normally, they’d be white.
Stem rot is rotting of the part of the stem where it touches the soil. Root rot eventually leads to stem rot. Both of these conditions are caused by fungal pathogens.
How do you fix Plumeria root rot/stem rot?
Check the roots of your Plumeria to confirm fungal rot. If the roots are indeed rotten, stop watering the Plumeria immediately.
- Dig out the infected plant and wash its roots in a solution of Hydrogen peroxide. Carefully pour this solution on the roots to kill the fungal pathogen.
- Place this Plumeria in a new pot with fresh soil, make sure the soil drains excess water fairly well. Add Perlite to the soil if needed.
- Water your Plumeria only when the soil is dry upto two inches depth. Check the soil with bare fingers if needed. Make sure the pot has drain holes.
- Respond as soon as you see the early signs of root rot.
Underwatered Plumeria
If Plumeria gets less water than it needs, the foliage turns dry and yellow. Underwatering usually is seen in warmer conditions.
You can distinguish the underwatered plant from an overwatered plant by the dry leaves. Leaves become dry only when the plant is underwatered.
Check the soil to reconfirm the issue at hand. You may want to check the soil using your bare fingers or a soil moisture meter.
If you’re sure that your Plumeria has been underwatered, give it adequate water immediately. The plant should recover if you water it adequately.
Plumeria leaves turning yellow with brown spots
Plumeria leaves turn yellow with brown spots if the plant has been affected by Plumeria rust fungus. This fungus specifically affects the Plumeria plant.
A fungus named Coleosporium plumeriae causes this rust in Plumeria plants. Yellow spots are seen on the Plumeria plant.
The undersides of the leaves are covered in powdery orange lesions. These lesions sit right beneath the spots.
The fungus spreads from one plant to the other via water splashes. The rust disease is favored by warm, moist conditions.
Eventually, the leaves turn brown. The disease spreads to the neighboring Plumeria so isolate the infected Plumeria once you see the signs.
Respond as soon as you see the primary signs. Defoliation is seen on the Plumeria once the disease reaches its peak.
How do I get rid of rust fungus on my Plumeria?
You need to control Plumeria rust by following a combination of cultural and other control methods.
- When watering your Plumeria, make sure the water doesn’t splash around on the neighbor plants.
- Clean and dispose of the fallen leaves as soon as you see them.
- You can cut off the infected leaves. Sterilize the tools before you use them on healthy plants.
- Make sure there’s good air ventilation around your Plumeria plant.
Systemic Fungicide for Plumeria rust
Use a broad-spectrum fungicide that has Bayleton/Benomyl or Oxycarboxin as the ingredients to control this fungal disease.
Bayer Folicur would work efficiently. Ask your local experts to know better ways to treat the Plumeria rust.
Plumeria Rust Neem oil
Neem oil can be used to treat a plant that’s infected by Plumeria rust. Add 2 teaspoons Neem oil, half-teaspoon peppermint soap to water, and mix well.
Take this solution into a sprayer. Spray this solution on the infected Plumeria weekly until you get rid of the rust.
Plumeria leaves yellow and curling
Plumeria leaves turn yellow and curl when sap-sucking insects like Mealybugs, Spider mites, and Thrips infest the plant.
Mealybugs: Mealybugs are relatives of the scale insects that are covered in a white powder. These are found near the buds too.
Spider mites: Spider mite presence can be confirmed if you see webs cast around your Plumeria.
Thrips: Thrips are insects with elongated bodies that have pincers at the end. Thrips suck the plant sap through the leaves.
Ways to get rid of sap-sucking insects on Plumeria
- Dip some cotton buds in rubbing alcohol and wipe off the insects on your Plumeria.
- Cut off the infested parts of Plumeria using a pair of pruning shears. Dispose of these leaves carefully.
- Spray Neem oil solution on the infested parts of your Plumeria to get rid of these pesky pests.
- Spray Insecticidal soap on the affected parts of your Plumeria if the infestation is severe.
Plumeria stem turning yellow
Plumeria stem turns yellow when the plant suffers from sunburn. The affected part looks yellowish-brown and wrinkled.
Plants get affected by Sunburn when they are exposed to too much sunlight. Observe how much sunlight your Plumeria gets.
Things around your Plumeria might also be reflecting the sunlight on the plant. I’ve had this one of my plants.
The pot was reflecting the light on the plant. This is what caused the sunburn. Move the plant away from direct sunlight if possible.
Plumeria leaves turning yellow in winter
Plumeria leaves turn yellow and drop off in winter. Plumeria plants go dormant in the winter season. So, if you see foliage yellowing in winter, dormancy is probably the reason.
This situation arises when the temperature falls below 50 degrees F. The plant might lose all of its leaves in the winter.
The branches of your Plumeria remain intact. This is the plant’s natural adaptation to survive the winters without water.
How to comfort your Plumeria in winter?
- Plant your Plumeria at a place where it stays in warm conditions.
- Cover your Plumeria with some blanket on days that are cooler than normal.
- Add christmas lights to your Plumeria to warm it up a little bit.
Nutrient deficiency in Plumeria
Plumeria needs a variety of nutrients to stay in perfect shape. Your Plumeria needs Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium, Magnesium, and other nutrients to be healthy.
A deficiency of nutrients leads to disorders. Foliage yellowing could be due to a variety of deficiencies. Get the soil tested in a local lab.
See what’s wrong with the soil and amend it accordingly. You can amend the soil naturally or artificially.
Iron deficiency/Magnesium deficiency usually causes yellowing of the foliage. Refer to this webpage to know more about these deficiencies.
Happy Gardening 🙂