Mexican Plumeria (Plumeria rubra) — identification, habitat & look-alikes

Plumeria, or frangipani, is the flower behind Hawaii's leis, but the tree is native to Mexico, Central America, Colombia, and Venezuela. In the US it grows outdoors only in frost-free places like South Florida, southern California, and Hawaii. Its five-petaled, pinwheel flowers come in pink, red, white, and yellow-centered forms, and their scent grows stronger in the evening.

Appearance

Growth form: Deciduous shrub or small tree, usually 6–26 ft (2–8 m) tall, with a thick, succulent trunk and brittle branches.
Leaves: Large leaves, 12–20 in (30–50 cm) long, crowded at the branch tips.
Flowers: Clusters of fragrant flowers 2–3 in (5–7.5 cm) across at the branch tips, in pink, red, white, cream, or with a yellow center. In Florida, trees go dormant in winter, leaf out in spring, and bloom from about May to November.
Fruit: Pods about 7 in (17.5 cm) long holding 20–60 winged seeds, rarely produced on garden trees.

Look-alikes

Bridal bouquet plumeriaPlumeria pudica

Bridal bouquet has thick, shiny, dark green, spoon-shaped leaves and white flowers with a yellow center that have very little scent. Frangipani has larger, plain leaves and strongly scented flowers in many colors.

Why they get mixed upBoth are plumerias grown in South Florida yards, and both have white, yellow-centered flowers.

Singapore plumeriaPlumeria obtusa

Singapore plumeria has glossy, dark green leaves up to about 8 in (20 cm) long with blunt, rounded tips, and it keeps some leaves through winter. Frangipani's leaves are much longer and all fall in winter. Some garden plants are hybrids of the two, with rounded leaves and less winter leaf drop, so leaves alone can mislead.

Why they get mixed upBoth are grown in Florida and have white flowers with yellow centers.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: Gardens and parks
Temple and cemetery grounds
Dry, rocky tropical slopes
Range: Native from Mexico through Central America to Colombia and Venezuela. Planted throughout the tropics and subtropics and naturalized across much of tropical Asia and the Pacific Islands. In the US it is grown outdoors in Hawaii, South Florida and protected spots in Central Florida, and southern California.
Preferred conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil. Best suited to USDA zones 10b–11; frost damages it, so farther north it is kept in containers and brought indoors for winter. It goes dormant and drops its leaves in winter.

Growing it

Care: Easy to root from cuttings. Plumeria rust, a fungus, attacks young leaves; removing fallen leaves in fall helps keep it in check.
Toxicity: Broken branches ooze a white latex that irritates skin and mucous membranes and is toxic if eaten. Avoid touching or eating any part of the plant.

Name and classification

About the name: The genus honors Charles Plumier, a French botanist who explored the American tropics. The name frangipani is said to come from an Italian noble family whose perfume the flower's scent resembled; the tale of a Columbus crewman named Frangipani was invented in the 1800s. Plants once called Plumeria acutifolia are now included in this species, sometimes as Plumeria rubra var. acutifolia.
Varieties and forms: Many plumerias sold today are hybrids or named cultivars selected for color, fragrance, and heavy blooming. P. rubra is the main parent in this breeding because it has the widest color range and the strongest scent.

Conservation

IUCN Red List: LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction

Culture and stories

Culture and stories: Hawaii sold more than 14 million plumeria blossoms for leis in 2005.
It is the national flower of Nicaragua and of Laos, where it is called dok champa.
It is often planted near Hindu temples, and one of its English names is temple tree.