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Fragrant frangipani
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A frangipani tree in bloom will fill the air with its gentle fragrance
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THE FRANGIPANI is a popular tropical plant, growing to smallish tree-like proportions. As it is propagated both by way of seed and cutting, the plant is found almost everywhere in India, the East and the Far East.
The beauty of the flower, along with its fine wafting perfume, has made the flower a popular offering in Buddhist temples all over the East.
Of the Apocynaeceae family, its botanical name is Plumeria, after the French botanist Charles Plumer, who first found the plants in the Caribbean in the 17th Century.
The plant goes by various unusual names — `Dead Man's Fingers' in Australia, `Jasmin de Cayenne' in Brazil and `Pagoda' or `Temple Flower' in India. Frangipani came from `frangipanier' or coagulated milk, so called by the French settlers in the Caribbean in the 17th Century.
The P. Rubra is the most common of Plumerias and has given rise to many cultivars. Most common is the white with yellow centres, while other Rubras come in shades of red, pink, yellow and a mix of these colours.
The plants also do well in pots, needing strong sun and enough water. The leaves drop and flowering lessens, till the plant gathers strength to start blooming profusely again. A single frangipani tree in bloom will scent the air for quite a distance in the evenings, making it a beautiful acquisition to any home. The bunches of flowers make the tree attractive.
RUPA GOPAL
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