Plumeria alba

white frangipani

Although they have a beautiful fragrance, the flowers do not produce any nectar to speak of, and pollination occurs after hawk moths repeatedly unsuccessfully search for nectar from the flowers.

Fragrant essential oils, however, may be extracted and used in many products such as perfumes, cosmetics, soaps, and candles. Over 50 volatile compounds make up the scent of a frangipani, with white and/or yellow cultivars often being the most fragrant. Here's a video showing a small-scale distillation setup in action to give you an idea of how essential oils can be extracted from fragrant plants:

Most of our wintertime visitors unfortunately see only bare branches when they arrive, as this plant loses all its leaves each winter, something one does not expect to find in a tropical climate. White frangipani is fairly drought and salt tolerant, loves a place in the sun, and can do well in a variety of well-drained soils.