How to revive yellowing Frangipani?

James Dun

Hi all, one of my frangipani’s that we planted last August has recently started to struggle. It has some yellowing of the leaves as well as some leaves shriveling up but remaining green (see photos). Is this just a lack of water (not much rain recently) or something attacking it? Any help much appreciated!

EricL

Hello @James Dun

Your frangipani actually looks mostly healthy overall, which is a good sign, but I can see the yellowing older leaves with dark spotting and the curled, slightly distorted newer growth you’re concerned about.

The yellow leaves with brown or black spots are very typical of frangipani rust or a fungal leaf spot. Frangipanis commonly drop older leaves, especially if they are under a bit of stress from dry conditions, but the speckled spotting suggests there is likely some fungal involvement rather than just thirst alone. If you turn the yellow leaves over and see orange or rusty powdery patches underneath, that confirms rust. It’s very common and usually not fatal, just untidy.

The shrivelling and curling green leaves are more consistent with water stress. Given you mentioned there hasn’t been much rain, I’d say inconsistent or insufficient deep watering is playing a role. Young frangipanis planted last August are still establishing their root systems, so they can struggle more than mature ones in dry spells. The surrounding soil in your photos looks quite dry and there is some grass competing near the base, which won’t help.

I’d suggest giving it a deep soak rather than light surface watering. Water slowly at the base so it penetrates well down into the root zone. Doing this once a week during hot, dry weather is usually better than frequent shallow watering. It would also help to clear grass away from the base and top up mulch, keeping it a few centimetres away from the trunk.

For the fungal spotting, you can remove the worst affected yellow leaves and dispose of them in the bin rather than compost. Improving airflow and avoiding overhead watering will help. If it worsens significantly, a fungicide such as Yates Anti Rot or Eco-fungicide for frangipani rust can be used.

From what I can see, this doesn’t look like a serious pest attack. It looks more like a combination of mild fungal leaf issue and water stress while it establishes. With a bit of consistent care, it should bounce back nicely.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric