My Plumeria is Shriveling. Help!

The trunk of my Plumeria is shriveled. What am I doing wrong?

We receive this or similar questions almost daily as the end of the winter dormancy approaches. The Plumeria has not been watered for almost 4 months now. During the winter dormancy, the plant relies on the water reserve it has stored in its roots, which ideally should be large enough to get through the winter dormancy.

However, if the plant has not yet been able to store enough water because:

it may have been rooted only in September/October
it may be a young seedling
that it was not watered enough in summer to form sufficient water reserves
the pot is too small and the roots cannot spread

then it happens that during the winter dormancy, it starts to shrivel like an apple that’s been in the fruit bowl too long.

Don’t worry, this is normal and not dangerous. It only becomes dangerous if we poke around at the shriveled spot!

If your plant looks like this, you can give it half a shot glass of water. Generally, after a few days, the plant will smooth out again.

Shriveled Plumeria after the winter dormancy

In the following collection of images, we have compiled a typical example of a shriveled Frangipani after the winter dormancy for you. After each photo, half a shot glass of water was given. You can clearly see that the plant has almost completely regenerated after about 11 days.

Please do not poke around the trunk of your Plumeria during the winter dormancy. Pressure marks can lead to injuries under the bark, which can then cause rot that makes the plant sick and can lead to its death.

It is important to always keep an eye out for „rot“ or „lack of water.“ If you are unsure, just reach out to our Facebook group „Plumeria.Shop – Frangipani Love <3“ and you will receive professional help quickly!