You can find Plumeria trees growing all over the world, mainly for their delicious fragrance. However, growers are also drawn to this tree’s carefree growing habits, as well as the different colors available.
Plumeria trees are classified as deciduous, which simply means that they drop all of their leaves to the ground when the colder, drier months arrive. While many other tropical plants cannot be easily grown in cold climates, these trees may be due to this deciduous nature which makes them very easy to care for and preserve when it gets too cold. The plant will store its own moisture and then drop its leaves to enter a dormant state as the cold season approaches. Growers don’t have to feed or water them until the warm weather hits again and the trees start to wake up again. These plants can be grown as larger trees or shrubs and contain a poisonous liquid within their branches that can cause skin or eye irritation. It is important to wash well if you come into contact with this liquid.
During the hot and humid season, you will see Plumeria, also known as Frangipani, begin to wake up. The ends of the branches will develop long leaves that can be up to 20 inches long. Later in the season the fragrant flowers emerge. Plumeria flowers always have five petals that are impeccably sculpted to deliver stunning beauty. Flowering begins during the hot and humid summer seasons in Florida and the Caribbean, but these plants are grown elsewhere in the world as well.
The size of the Plumeria and how it is formed depends on the type that is grown. For a tall tree with pink to red flowers, you can grow P. ruba plumeria, which can reach 25 feet. P. obtuse also grows to about 25 feet, but has white flowers with yellow centers. The leaves of this tree tend to be smaller than those of other Plumeria plants. Getting taller is P. alba, which can reach 40 feet. This tree also has beautiful white flowers with yellow in the center.
Since Plumeria plants can be found in various areas of the world, there are different names for them around the world. It was originally discovered and documented as “Plumeria” by a 17th century botanist exploring the New World, whose name turned out to be Plumiera. The name Frangipani came from Italy, where a noble family used these flowers as inspiration for a perfume. There are other names for the plant around the world, including the “temple tree” in Sri Lanka and Melia in Hawaii.
Plumeria is adored by humans around the world because of its sweet scent, but it’s actually quite fun. The flowers give off that tremendous scent to attract the Sphinx moth. These moths search for nectar from flower to flower, attracted by that strong, sweet scent that comes out at night. The secret is that Plumeria plants have no nectar to give to moths! They tease moths with their scent, but the promise of nectar is never fulfilled. Plants do this to collect pollen from moths as they travel from plant to plant, pollinating the plant.
What most people don’t realize is that these plants are not always grown in tropical locations and have uses beyond their fragrance. Asian folklore credits Plumeria trees with harboring demons and ghosts, while in the Philippines and Indonesia the plants are typically found in cemeteries and associated with the dead. Finding these beautiful trees in a cemetery is not unusual in these countries.
The history behind the Plumeria plant is quite rich. If you do a little research, you’ll appreciate that tropical island vacation lei or that Plumeria cutting a lot more!