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“Frangipani” redirects here. For the Australian plant referred to as ‘native frangipani’, see Hymenosporum. For other uses, see Frangipani (disambiguation).

Plumeria (/pluːˈmɛriə/), commonly known as frangipani, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Apocynaceae. Most species are deciduous shrubs or small trees. They are native to the Neotropical realm (in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, and as far south as Brazil and as far north as Florida in the United States), but are often grown as ornamentals in tropical regions, especially in Hawaii, as well as hot desert climates in the Arabian Peninsula with irrigation.[1]

Description

Frangipani trunk in Kolkata, West Bengal, India

Plumeria branches are succulent.[3] The trunk and branches of the Plumeria species have a milky latex sap that, like many other Apocynaceae, contains poisonous compounds that irritate the eyes and skin.[4][5]

Leaves

Leaves
Fruit

Plumeria species are small trees or low shrubs. The leaves grow at tips of their branches. Various species and cultivar have various leaf shape and arrangements.[5][6] The leaves of P. alba are narrow and corrugated, whereas leaves of P. pudica have an elongated shape and glossy, dark-green color. P. pudica is one of the everblooming types with nondeciduous, evergreen leaves. Another, semi-deciduous species that retains leaves and flowers in winter is P. obtusa; commonly known as “Singapore plumeria”.[7]

Flowers

Time-lapse of a flower opening

Plumeria trees flower from early summer to fall. Their blossoms grow in clusters on ends of the stems, they are made of tubular corolla with a length of 2–4 inches (5.1–10.2 cm) that split sharply into five rounded and waxy petals that overlap each other. These flowers come in many colours including pink, red, white and yellow, orange, or pastel. They have separate anthers.[5][6]

The flowers are highly fragrant, especially at night. Their scent is perceived to have floral elements of jasmine, citrus, gardenia, fruity aromatic notes of coconut, peach, vanilla, as well as lactonic, woody accords. However, they yield no nectar. Their scent tricks sphinx moths into pollinating them by transferring pollen from flower to flower in their fruitless search for nectar.[8]

Its fruit separates into two follicles with winged seeds.[6]

Taxonomy

The name Plumeria was first used by Joseph Pitton de Tournefort in 1700, but wasn’t formally published until 1753 by Carl Linnaeus. Linnaeus affirmed the name in his seminal work Species Plantarum, and added the three species that were known at the time: P. rubra, P. alba and P. obtusa.[9]

Within the family Apocynaceae, Plumeria is placed in the subfamily Rauvolfioideae, tribe Plumerieae and subtribe Plumeriinae. The subtribe also includes the genera Himatanthus and Mortoniella.[10] The type species P. rubra was designated in 1925 by Nathaniel Lord Britton and Percy Wilson[2]

Etymology

The naming of this genus is attributed to French botanist Joseph Pitton de Tournefort who, in 1700, created the name in honour of Charles Plumier. Plumier was also a French botanist who had explored the tropical Americas as Louis XIV‘s royal botanist, and described a large number of species.[11]: 342 

Common names

The plants of this species are commonly known as frangipani in English,[12][13][14] although the generic name Plumeria is often used in the US. Other names exist across southeast Asia in the various cultures, including kemboja, bunga kubur, chempaka, pagoda tree and camboja.[13]

A ficticious account of the origin of the name ‘frangipani’ was published in 1867. The English perfumer Septimus Piesse claimed in his book that the name is taken from that of a crewman with Columbus by the name of Mercutio Frangipani. Piesse further claimed that Frangipani was able to detect a fragrance as the ship approached Antigua, and upon landing found it to be coming from the flowers of P. alba, which was in bloom at the time.[15] This story and the Frangipani character were concocted by Piesse and some associates to drive up commercial interest in his products.[14][16]

Species

A frangipani tree in bloom in Bugibba, Malta

The genus Plumeria includes about 18 accepted species, with over 100 regarded as synonyms. As of March 2026, Plants of the World Online accepted the following species:[1]

Formerly included in genus[citation needed]

Propagation

Plumeria can be propagated by seed or vegetatively propagated by cutting stem tips in spring, allowing them to dry at their bases, then planting in well-drained soil. These are particularly susceptible to rot in moist soil. Applying rooting hormone to the clean fresh-cut end will enable callusing.

Plumeria cuttings can also be propagated by grafting to an already rooted system.[17] The Plumeria Society of America lists 368 registered cultivars of Plumeria as of 2009.[18]

In culture

Plumeria is commonly used to make leis in Hawaii.

In Mesoamerica, plumerias have carried complex symbolic significance for over two millennia, with striking examples from the Maya and Aztec periods into the present. Among the Maya, plumerias have been associated with deities representing life and fertility, and the flowers also became strongly connected with female sexuality. Nahuatl-speaking people during the height of the Aztec Empire used plumerias to signify elite status, and planted plumeria trees in the gardens of nobles.[11]: 351 

Plumerias were introduced into the Philippines in the 1560s by the Spanish, and from there they were taken into Indonesia and Malaysia. In these areas, plumerias are often associated with ghosts and death, and are planted around cemeteries in the belief that the fragrant flowers ward off evil spirits by masking the smell of decay.[11]: 357 [19] Yangsze Choo in her novel The Night Tiger for example described it as is “the graveyard flower of the Malays”. Plumerias often are planted on burial grounds in all three nations. They are also common ornamental plants in houses, parks, parking lots, and other open-air establishments in the Philippines. Balinese Hindus use the flowers in their temple offerings. The plumeria’s fragrance is also associated with the Kuntilanak, an evil vampiric spirit of a dead mother in Malaysian-Indonesian folklores.

In several Pacific islands, where plumerias were introduced in the late 19th century,[11]: 341  such as Tahiti, Fiji, Samoa, Hawaii, New Zealand, Tonga, and the Cook Islands, Plumeria species are used for making leis.[20] In Hawaii, the flower is called melia. In modern Polynesian culture, the flower can be worn by women to indicate their relationship status—over the right ear if seeking a relationship, and over the left if taken.[21][better source needed]

Plumeria rubra is the national flower of Laos, where it is known under the local name champa. It is also used as the logo of Lao Airlines, the national airline of Laos.[22]

In eastern India and Bangladesh, plumeria is traditionally considered as a variety of the champak flower, the golok chapa, meaning the champaka that resides in the heavenly home of Sri Krishna, a Hindu god at the highest realm of heaven. In Sri Lanka it is known as “Araliya” or “Temple Flower”. The flower, considered sacred, is also known by the names gulancha and kath golap.

In Bengali culture, most white flowers, and in particular, plumeria (Bengali, chômpa or chãpa), are associated with funerals and death.[citation needed]

Indian incenses scented with Plumeria rubra have “champa” in their names. For example, nag champa is an incense containing a fragrance combining plumeria and sandalwood. While plumeria is an ingredient in Indian champa incense, the extent of its use varies between family recipes. Most champa incenses also incorporate other tree resins, such as Halmaddi (Ailanthus triphysa) and benzoin resin, as well as other floral ingredients, including champaca (Magnolia champaca), geranium (Pelargonium graveolens), and vanilla (Vanilla planifolia) to produce a more intense, plumeria-like aroma.[23]

In the Western Ghats of Karnataka, the bride and groom exchange garlands of cream-coloured plumeria during weddings. Red-colored flowers are not used in weddings in this region. Plumeria plants are found in most of the temples in these regions.

In Eastern Africa, frangipani are sometimes referred to in Swahili love poems.[24]

Some species of plumeria have been studied for their potential medicinal value.[25]

References

  1. ^ a b c d “Plumeria Tourn. ex L.” Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 8 March 2026.
  2. ^ a b “Plumeria Tourn. ex L., Sp. Pl. [Linnaeus] 1: 209 (1753)”. International Plant Names Index. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2025. Retrieved 12 June 2025.
  3. ^ “Succulents in the Genus Plumeria”. World of Succulents. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  4. ^ College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR). Ornamentals and Flowers. Feb. 1998. OF-24.
  5. ^ a b c Mahr, Susan (2023). “Plumeria”. Wisconsin Horticulture. University of Wisconsin-Madison. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
  6. ^ a b c Eggli, Urs (2002). Albers, Focke (ed.). Illustrated Handbook on Succulent Plants. Vol. 5: Dicotyledons. Springer. p. 16. ISBN 978-3-540-41966-2.
  7. ^ “NParks | Plumeria obtusa”. www.nparks.gov.sg. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  8. ^ Haber, William A. (1984). “Pollination by Deceit in a Mass-Flowering Tropical Tree Plumeria rubra L. (Apocynaceae)”. Biotropica. 16 (4): 269–275. Bibcode:1984Biotr..16..269H. doi:10.2307/2387935. JSTOR 2387935.
  9. ^ Linneaus, Carl (1753). Species Plantarum. Stockholm: Laurentii Salvii. p. 209. Retrieved 9 March 2026.
  10. ^ Endress, Mary E.; Liede-Schumann, Sigrid; Meve, Ulrich (2014). “An updated classification for Apocynaceae”. Phytotaxa. 159 (3): 175. doi:10.11646/phytotaxa.159.3.2.
  11. ^ a b c d Zumbroich, Thomas J. (2013). “‘Plumerias the Color of Roseate Spoonbills’- Continuity and transition in the symbolism of Plumeria L. in Mesoamerica”. Ethnobotany Research & Applications. 11: 341–363. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  12. ^ Saunders, Frances. “Fragrant Frangipani”. Sustainable Gardening Australia. Retrieved 9 March 2026.
  13. ^ a b “Plumeria rubra“. Flora and Fauna Web. Singapore Government. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
  14. ^ a b Wang Zi-Ming, Sean. “Plant of the Month: Frangipani”. JSTOR Daily. ITHAKA. Retrieved 9 March 2026.
  15. ^ Piesse, George William Septimus (1867). The Art of Perfumery and the Methods of Obtaining the Odors of Plants: With Instructions for the Manufacture of Perfumes for the Handkerchief, Scented Powders, Odorous Vinegars, Dentifrices, Pomatums, Cosmetics, Perfumed Soap, Etc., to which is Added an Appendix on Preparing Artificial Fruit-essences, Etc. Lindsay & Blakiston. p. 23. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  16. ^ Kettler, Andrew (April 2015). “Making the Synthetic Epic”. The Senses and Society. 10: 5–25. doi:10.2752/174589315X14161614601682. S2CID 192944557.
  17. ^ Thornton, Sharon H. (1985). The Exotic Plumeria (Frangipani). Plumeria Specialties. p. 21.
  18. ^ “Registered Plumeria”. The Plumeria Society of America. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
  19. ^ Bautista, Norby (22 April 2015). “The summer blooming of the Kalachuchi”. Manila Bulletin. Archived from the original on 31 May 2015. Retrieved 19 December 2015.
  20. ^ Jay Jones (7 April 2008). “Hawaii keeps the lei-making tradition alive”. Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 7 April 2026. Retrieved 7 April 2026.
  21. ^ “How to wear Hawaiian Flowers in your hair, neck, wrist, hip and more!”. Flower Leis. 16 December 2015. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  22. ^ Smart, Bryony. “Frangipani”. Pha Tad Ke Botanical Garden. Retrieved 9 March 2026.
  23. ^ “Equinox Aromatics, LLC – Halmaddi – Ailanthus triphysa – India”. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 18 August 2015.
  24. ^ Knappert, Jan (1972). An Anthology of Swahili Love Poetry. University of California Press. p. 93. ISBN 0-520-02177-0.
  25. ^ Sharma, Garima; Chahar, Maheep K.; Dobhal, Sonal; Sharma, Neelu; Sharma, Tek Chand; Sharma, Mahesh C.; Joshi, Yogesh C.; Dobhal, Mahabeer P. (2011). “Phytochemical Constituents, Traditional Uses, and Pharmacological Properties of the Genus Plumeria”. Chemistry & Biodiversity. 8 (8): 1357–1369. doi:10.1002/cbdv.201000159. S2CID 197211733.
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