frangipani

Frangipani is the common name for plants in the genus Plumeria, a group of flowering trees and shrubs in the dogbane family Apocynaceae. Native to the tropical Americas, frangipani is widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions for its striking, highly scented flowers.

Plumeria plants are typically small to medium-sized trees or shrubs with succulent stems and large, evergreen leaves that are glossy and elliptic. Flowers appear in dense clusters at branch tips, usually with five rounded petals. Colors range from white and pale pink to deep pink or yellow, often with a contrasting throat. The flowers have a distinctive sweet fragrance that is an important feature in cultivation and use.

The genus Plumeria was named for the French botanist Charles Plumier, who collected specimens in the Caribbean; the common name frangipani derives from an Italian family of perfumers associated with a fragrance made from the flower’s scent.

Frangipani is native to the Caribbean, Central America, and parts of Mexico, but it is now cultivated across the tropics and in warmer subtropics. It prefers warm, sunny locations with well-drained soil and is frost sensitive; in cool climates it is grown as a container plant or cannot overwinter outdoors. It is relatively drought tolerant once established.

In cultivation, frangipani is valued as an ornamental for landscapes, courtyards, and containers. The flowers are used in leis and other garlands in parts of the Pacific, and the scent is employed in perfume and essential oil production. All parts of the plant contain a milky latex and can be irritating to skin or toxic if ingested.