Plumeria rubra

pink frangipani

In Ayurvedic medicine, essential oil derived from the flowers is used to bring about a calming effect. In the Caribbean, leaves have been used as a poultice for sores and wounds. In Vietnam, the bark is used to treat high blood pressure and indigestion, and the milky sap is used as a soothing balm for irritating skin conditions.

In modern Polynesian culture, a woman may indicate her relationship status by wearing a plumeria flower over her left ear if she is married / in a relationship or over her right ear if she is seeking a relationship, so if you feel like picking one of these from our plants and putting it in your hair, be sure you do it on the correct side!

Pink frangipani prefers full sun to part shade and well-drained soils. It can tolerate drought, but it loses all of its leaves and flowers anyways during the winter, which is our dry season here in the Keys.