The Handbook on Plumeria

Historical Data

DISTRIBUTION AND CL:IMATIC RANGE

Plumerias are indigenous to the New World Tropics, from southern Mexico to northern South America, especially the islands of the Caribbean. Due to their popularity and ease of culture, plumerias have been introduced into all tropical areas of the world and one can see more varieties today inn gardens in Singapore, India, and Hawaii than in their native habitats. Plumerias are true tropicals and will not tolerate much cold. They are not found at elevations above 3000 feet in South India where the tropical heat gives way to the cooler, more (temperate climate of the higher elevations, but have been recorded in the New World  tropics up to 3900 feet.

Although they thrive in hot, dry climates plumerias are very adaptable and can be seen in high rainfall areas, in varying soil conditions, from mountains to sea level, but always in full sun exposure.

On the mountainsides of Guatemala, plumerias grow in poor soil and tolerate a hot, dry climate. They may be found along the • Nile, in many parts of Africa, in the tropical areas of Australia and along the coastal belt of Southern California. I have travelled through miles of thorny scrub jungle in South India to suddenly come upon a large specimen of Plumeria rubra acutifolia rooted in the crevice of a huge boulder, thriving in blistering 100 degree heat where there is often no rain from January through July! This is true as well in certain areas of Mexico such as Oaxaca where plumerias are found in arid, barren areas growing together with cactus. In The Vege'tation of Peten. the author writes: "In April and May, Plumeria acutifolia strikingly stands out on the hill sides with its beautiful large white flowers." And this in an area where there is a layer of humus so thin that it barely covers the larger roots of many 0 the trees! We have seen plumerias in the wet country of Hilo, Hawaii, and on the opposite end of the island of Hawaii in Kona, ; a hot dry region where plumerias are Planted along the roads in pits dug out of lava! Whether on mountainsides, in the crevices of rocks, along sandy beaches or in lava formations, plumerias may survive Poor soil but it must be soil that is well-drained.

Eliovson mentions that plumerias stand the sea-breeze well and grow magnificently  in Durban, South Africa. An article in time August, 1986, issue of Sunset magazine suggests that in desert areas some afternoon  shade helps, but left alone in nature plumerias seem able to tolerate almost anything..

As to  plumerias being brittle and easily broken, this is true in their early years but

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in tropical areas they rapidly develop strength and elasticity and are able to grow under very difficult conditions, having been known to withstand hurricane winds. Plumerias in seaside gardens even develop tolerance for salty air without undue damage to their leaves.

INTRODUCTION OF SPECIES AND HYBRIDS

Plumeria cuttings can survive for weeks and even months if properly handled and so have been transported around the world and introduced by plant collectors to the major gardens of the world. We have seen specimens in the greenhouses of Kew, on the rooftops of penthouses in New York City, and in fact, everywhere we have travelled.

Plumeria rubra forma acutifolia, the Common Yellow Frangipani, was introduced into Hawaii by William Hildebrand in 1860. Harold Lyon brought the first cutting of Plumeria obtusa into Hawaii from Singapore in 1931 and, according to Watson, Chinn, Clay and Brewbaker, it is still growing at Foster Garden in Honolulu today. Plumeria rubra was brought to the Hawaiian islands in the early 1900's. Joseph Rock mentions that, "The first specimen [of P. rubra] was brought to Honolulu from Mexico by Mrs. Paul Neumann . . .". P. alba was introduced from India and P. bahamiensis (now a form of P. obtusa) from Nassau were introduced to Hawaii as late as the 1950's

Clarissa Kimber in Martinique Revisited writes: "Frangipani (Plumeria rubra) from Mexico or Central America was an early garden introduction (Labat 1742,. . .)."

In his 1906 book Indian Trees, Dietrich Brandis makes an interesting comment about Plumeria acutifolia: "A native of Mexico and Guatemala, cultivated in India from time immemorial."

In fact, in The Ornamental Trees of Hawaii, written by Joseph F. Rock in 1917, we find the following: "The Plumeria is now cultivated in many tropical countries as ;in ornamental tree. It was found in India growing abundantly as long ago as 1787 b\ a Dr. Hove."

As to other species and hybrids, during the 1970's we introduced to India through the gardens in Auroville many of the Hawaiian and Singapore varieties along with several from Mexico, and as previously mentioned, the species from the Dominic in Republic.

The introduction of Plumerias continues today through exchanges by botanical gardens around the world and through mail order sources. New named varieties ;a re much in demand, especially dwarf forms, as are new forms that have developed their own distinctiveness in places as far away as Africa, Australia and India, in addition to those resulting from breeding work in Hawaii and on the U.S. mainland.

MEDICINAL, ECONOMIC AND DECORATIVE USES

There are numerous references in literature to the medicinal uses of plumeria lat rf and blossoms reaching as far back as the Badianus Manuscript, the 16th Century

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Aztec Herbal. Helen O'Gorman notes in Mexican Flowering Trees and Plants that:

" the flowers of the 'cacaloxochiti', or raven-flower, were used with other ingredients in a potion to be drunk as a remedy 'for fear or faint-heartedness'. The juice of the plants is used sometimes in the treatment of wounds, and in Yucatan the extract is said to be employed in the treatment of cutaneous and venereal diseases. The latex is said to produce a good quality of rubber."

George Watt, in his Dictionary of the Economic Products of India, mentions a number of uses for plumerias in India. Some of the more important are described as follows:

The sap is employed with sandalwood oil and camphor to cure itch, and is used as a counter-irritant to cure rheumatic pain. The bark, known as A'chin, is recommended by the Persians as a cure for gonorrhoea and venereal sores. It is used for a similar purpose in Puerto Rico. In Bombay, it is used for intermittant fevers as we use Cinchona. In the Konkan, it is given with coconut, ghee and rice as a remedy for diarrhoea. A decoction from the bark makes a powerful anti-herpetic. Its use as a purgative is not without danger, however. Several cases of death from excessive purging after its use have been recorded. Plasters made from the bark are said to be useful in dispersing hard tumors.

The leaves, after being heated, are applied as a poultice to reduce swellings. In Goa, the leaves and branches are tied around coconut palms to protect them against the attacks of the Long-horned Beetle (Betocerarubra}.

The flower buds are taken with betel leaves as a febrifuge. The seeds, when available, are boiled in milk and given as an antidote in cases of snake bite. Mr. Millard once had a few seed-pods on one of the trees in his garden in Bombay and his Mahratta malis [gardeners] expressed the belief that the seeds were eaten by cobras. The seeds certainly disappeared, but he had his suspicion that the malis were in league with the cobras.

Blatter and Millard quote the following from Mhaskara and Caius in Some Beautifull Indian Trees: "Both the bark and the fruit are useless in the antidotal and symptomatic treatment of snakebite; the fruit is also useless as an external application to the Part bitten." watt also gives a preparation for a purgative under the heading, Special Opinion:

This plant is known as Dalana phula in Northern Bengal, where its milky juice has en tried and found to be an effectual purgative. The dose is as much as a grain of Parched rice (khai) will absorb, the grain being administered as a pill. (Surgeon Major CT. Peters, M.D.)."

Francis Perry writes in Flowers of the World: "The English explorer, Henry Bates, who  in 1848 explored hitherto unknown reaches of the Amazon, wrote in A Naturalist on the .Amazon, 'One of the most singular of the vegetable production of the camPas is the Sucu-u-ba tree (Frangipani). . . The bark and leaf stalks yield a copious supply of  milky sap, which the natives use very generally as a plaister in local inflammation  laying the liquid on the skin with a brush and covering the place with cotton. I

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have known it to work a cure in many cases.'" Perry also writes that the Javanese make sweetmeats from the flowers. (Note: according to Woodson, the Sucu-u-ba tree is not a plumeria but a totally different genus, Himatanthus, though both exhibit certain similar qualities such as showy flowers, copious milky white latex, etc.)

In Hawaiian Plumerias the authors state: "The white, soft, light wood is used to make drums in India; harder, more mature trunks of the trees are used in the Caribbean area for making bowls, trays, cabinets and furniture."

Kunkel adds the following in Flowering Trees in Subtropical Gardens: "According to Burkill a decoction of the bark is given in Indonesia for venereal diseases, and the milk is purgative and used as a counter irritant for toothache or when dropped into sores. The plant is used to cure intestinal disorders in horses. . . ."

From Flowering Trees of the Caribbean: "The Frangipani is too small a tree to have much timber value, but the wood still has been put to many local uses. A \ el- low-brown with faint purplish streaks, it is hard, heavy and compact. Craftsmen w ho make from it bowls, cabinets and small furniture find it easy to work, lustrous and good for a high polish."

Many books refer to the corollas being used as sweetmeats and a remedy for cough.

Although the above is fascinating reading, today the most familiar economic us; is of the flowers in decorations, arrangements and lets (garlands). In Hawaii, the creation of lets has become an art form and annual exhibitions are held to select the most novel and creative displays. Here are a few suggestions on making leis. Use a long needle (in Hawaii they have a "lei needle"!) and white thread or thin monofilament line (4 Ib. test is sufficient). The flowers may be strung end to end or sideways through the base of the petals if a fuller lei is wanted. A well made lei will have 40-60 flowers. When you are through stringing the flowers, knot the two ends and you are finished. To make a tighter lei, shorten the ends of the corolla tubes. Some leis are made of individual petals and may contain thousands of petals. You may extend the keeping quality of flowers by soaking them in water for about 15 minutes then draining off he excess water and storing in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Leis will keep for several days in this manner.

RELIGIOUS AND CULTURAL SYMBOLISM

In tropical countries plumerias are among the most loved of all flowers. In Hawaii they are made into leis and presented on all special occasions. Visitors arriving in Honolulu are traditionally given the greeting of a lei, often made entirely of plumerias of various colors or of plumerias in creative combinations with other flowers. In Mauritius and the Seychelles, arriving visitors are greeted with leis and in the evenings, candles surrounded by plumeria flowers are floated in pools, exuding a fragrance that is intoxicating and unforgettable. In the Far East plumerias are plan ed around temples and the flowers are given as offerings to the gods. Cowen write in Flowering Trees and Shrubs of India: "To Buddhists and Mohammedans the tree is  an emblem of immortality because of its extraordinary power of producing leaves and flowers after it has been lifted from the soil. For this reason it is frequently planted  near temples and in graveyards, where daily the fresh, creamy blooms fall upon the

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tombs Hindus make use of the flowers in worship and they are frequently given as . offerings to the Gods." This is a custom in countries as far apart as India and Hawaii. We have often passed by ancient Muslim cemeteries and been treated to the sight of clouds of white flowers floating on a sea of dark green leaves of Plumeria

This ability of plumerias to survive for months without sustenance, especially unrooted branches, broken or pruned from trees was described by W.M. Thomas of Citronelle, Alabama, in a letter to us in September, 1988. Mr. Thomas writes, "This r I decided to prune it back [his plumeria tree] but did it in stages. I gave some of the cuttings away and there were 2 left which I tossed on the ground and never got around to picking up for the trash. The cuttings were outdoors and the grass grew over them because I couldn't get the mower that close to them. Since July we have had good rain but I forgot about the cuttings. Imagine my surprise when I discovered the cutting actually lying on the ground had rooted along the stem and was now in full growth." (Mr. Thomas later wrote that the roots appeared to have formed along the stem but had actually developed only at the cut end.)

In the Philippines the plumeria is known as Kalachuchi and has the same duality of symbolism found in other countries, traditionally used in mourning and planted at gravesites but also very popular in garlands.

A neighbor in Houston, Texas, while taking a walk one day past our house, stopped to share with us the interesting fact that in Southern China plumerias are called Egg Flowers, since the most common variety there is white with a yellow center.

A friend, Is Moritis, originally from Central Java and now a resident of Houston, has shared with us the many symbolical and traditional uses of the plumeria in different areas of Indonesia. Is relates many fascinating stories of the plumeria including its name which for some unknown reason is Kamboja to the Indonesians and Semboja to the Javanese, both terms indicating that the flower came from Cambodia. The most common variety is Plumeria obtusa (not called 'Singapore' in Indonesia!), which is planted primarily in cemeteries. Java has 80 million people in an area one-seventh the size of Texas. Burial land is therefore very difficult to find. Legend has it that you are very lucky and especially loved by God if you get a burial plot under a plumeria tree where one may find eternal rest in its shade. The flowers falling on the tombstones indicate that the Divine Providence takes care of the departed and sees that fresh flowers bedeck the grave each day. The plumeria is, therefore, a very special Plant filled with spiritual meaning, and for this reason not planted around the home. During the past 20 years a number of hybrids have found their way into the front Yards of residences but Plumeria obtusa in Central Java (which is influenced by Animism  and Mohammedanism as well as Hinduism and Buddhism) retains its spiritual meaning.

Marco and Teresita Lopez, who are from Merida, Yucatan, and now live in Houston have  recently shared some beautiful traditions of the plumeria with us. In the Yucatan the plumeria is called Flor de Mayo, the flower of May. May is the month of the Virgin Mary and the plumeria is dedicated to Her and treated with great respect .as a  religious symbol. During this month, when plumerias are in full bloom, the children  go to church each day dressed in pure white, the girls in white veils as well. At

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the altar is an immense wooden "M", in honor of the Virgin, drilled throughout with small holes. During the mass each child enters the church with a basket of plumeria flowers of different colors and while singing, walks up to the altar and places one flower in the "M". The children continue this all through the mass which lasts about 45 minutes and at the end, the "M" is ablaze with the beauty of plumerias. Each day the mass is held in a different church and the ceremony repeated by the children. Due to the strong religious symbolism, plumerias are rarely worn in the hair; the white butterfly ginger being more favored for this use. This offering to the Virgin Mary in May is also performed in Taxco.

Woodson writes: "The fragrance, as well as the abundance of waxy, beautifully tinted flowers, apparently caused the Plumerias to be prized by the Indians long before the advent of the Spaniards, and garlands are still used in tropical America as nosegays and head-dresses and to decorate the altars."

According to Matschat, the "Cacaloxochiti" or Crow-Flower, Plumeria rubra forma acutifolia, was a favorite of the ancient Mexicans and much prized by the Aztec maidens of the nobility who wore them in their hair.

In Flowering Trees of the Caribbean, the author notes that it is practically a ritual to perfume rooms and linens with Frangipani blooms before the visit of an honored guest tn Batavia. (Possibly a reference to Dutch colonies? Ed.)

Waterfield eulogizes the plumeria in one of his ballads:

Well have our fathers done,

Tree of the silent one

Still in thy praise shall the story be said,

Well did they, choosing thee

First of the wood to be

Watcher and guard of the graves of the dead.

Others are fairer trees,

Waving along the breeze

Bending with mourners the wanweeping head.

Rough and uncouth thy form,

Steadfast before the storm

Pointing to heaven from the graves of the dead.

Others have brighter hue,

Heaven's own starless blue,

Purity's white, and affection's deep red.

Thou with thy blossoms pale

Scented the evening gale

Hallowing with incense the graves of the dead.

Others their treasures cast

After the bloom is past,

Withered and scentless the gifts that they shed.

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Thou while thou flourishest

Giveth thy first and best

Strewing thy buds o'er the graves of the dead.

Therefore thy name we praise

As in former days

When on the tombs, thy first of rings were spread.

Forest flowers by day

Thou shalt unwearied lay

Sentinels sure at the graves of the dead

.

We conclude with a quote from Dr. T.A. Ramakrishnan in a letter of Nov. 7, 1979: "Plumeria and Peace go in company and there is nothing to beat this beautiful plant for achieving tranquility and utter peace of mind."

Silently a flower blooms In silence it /alls away:

Yet here now, at this moment, at this place,

the whole of the flower, the whole of

the world is blooming. This is the talk of the flower, the truth

of the blossom;

The glory of eternal life is fully shining here.

Abbot Zenhei Shimayama

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