Bring the Islands Home: Plumeria
One of our favorite tropical plants is the Plumeria, or Frangipani. Commonly referred to as a plant, it is actually a tree. Blooming Plumerias can range in size from below 15 inches to several feet tall, with old-growth plumerias reaching 30 feet and more. Plumerias bring to mind Hawaii, for the flower leis that are often seen in videos of those islands, but plumerias are present on many islands and are a popular decorative addition to resorts. Plumerias, though fast growing when young, take many years to reach an unmanageable height. Plumerias can be grown inside or out, depending on conditions. They can be allowed to go dormant, stored in a cold (but not freezing) environment during winter, or brought in the house where they will retain their leaves, and often bloom mid-winter if exposed to sunlight or grow lights regularly. If you reside in a mild climate where winter temperatures do not get below 50 degrees F. at night, you can even leave them out all winter. Plumerias come in a variety of colors, scents, and types, so you can pick and choose what you like best.
Plumerias are easy to care for and grow well. If left without pruning, they can become a very large statement piece. If pruned regularly, Plumerias can be kept in a smaller and more bush-like form. Follow our YouTube channel for videos, or read our Blog here for information on where to acquire, the different varieties, and how to grow plumerias. We will be providing information on planting, starting, fertilization, and care of all things Plumeria. For a short history of Plumerias, see below.
History of Plumerias:
The genus Plumeria is named in honour of 17th-century French botanist and Catholic monk Charles Plumier, who traveled to the New World documenting plant and animal species. Plumeria is also used as a common name, especially in horticultural circles, and you will often hear the tree referred to as Frangipani. The name "frangipani" comes from a 16th-century marquis of the noble Frangipani family in Italy, who created a synthetic plumeria-like perfume. Common names for plants in the genus vary widely according to region, variety, and whim, but frangipani or variations on that theme are the most common. In Mesoamerica, plumerias have carried complex symbolic significance for over two millennia, 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 used plumerias to signify elite status, and planted plumeria trees in the gardens of nobles. In several Pacific islands, where plumerias were introduced in the late 19th century, such as Tahiti, Fiji, Samoa, Hawaii, New Zealand, Tonga, and the Cook Islands, Plumeria species are used for making leis. 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.
Courtesy of wikipedia