Common Names:
Melia
Pua melia
Templetree
Graveyard flower
Temple flower
Fragipani

Classification:
Kingdom: Plantae-Plants
Subkingdom: Tracheobionta-Vascular plants
Superdivision: Spermatophyta-Seed plants
Division; Magnoliophyta-Flowering plants
Class: Magnoliopsida - Dicotyledons
Subclass: Asteridae
Order: Gentianales
Family: Apocynaceae – Dogbane family
Genus: Plumeria L. - Plumeria
Species: Plumeria rubra – Templetree

(Staples, G. W. and D. R. Herbst. 2005. A Tropical Garden Flora: Plants cultivated in the Hawaiian Islands and other tropical places. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu, Hawai`i.)
(USDA, NRCS. 2006. The PLANTS Database, 6 March 2006 (http://plants.usda.gov). Data compiled from various sources by Mark W. Skinner. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.)

This species grows from 0.9-5 meters tall. Plumeria trees are partially deciduous therefore lose all of their leaves during long, dry periods. The leaves of Plumeria rubra are 10-42 cm long and 4-14 cm wide with the widest point at the center or tip of the leaf blade. In this species the tip of the leaves narrow to a sharp point in contrast to leaves of the other common species, Plumeria obtusa, which has more rounded leaf tips.
In Hawai`i, Plumeria rubra produces flowers before the leaves emerge at the beginning of summer and has a flowering peak from April through to September. The original trees introduced to Hawai`i had white flowers with yellow centers, however subsequently trees with red flowers have also been introduced. Breeding programs have crossed trees with different colored flowers to produce a wide range of color varieties of this species: red, pink, or white flowers can be seen with flowers frequently either a single color or with a yellow or pink splash of color in the center. The flowers produce nectar which has a strong lemon scent. The fruit of this species is a dry follicle which splits along one side to release many winged seeds.
(Staples, G. W. and D. R. Herbst. 2005. A Tropical Garden Flora: Plants cultivated in the Hawaiian Islands and other tropical places. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu, Hawai`i.)

The first Plumeria rubra trees were introduced to Hawai`i in 1860 and these original trees still grow in the Harold L. Lyon Orchid Garden at Foster Botanical Garden. Trees with deep red flowers were introduced to Hawai`i from Mexico in 1871.The white flowered form of P. rubra is sometimes misidentified as P. alba, a rarely cultivated species endemic to the Lesser Antilles and Puerto Rico.
(Staples, G. W. and D. R. Herbst. 2005. A Tropical Garden Flora: Plants cultivated in the Hawaiian Islands and other tropical places. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu, Hawai`i.)

In the Guinas medicines are produced from P. rubra for the treatment of skin eruptions and abscesses, dysentery, herpes, syphilis, coughs and as a purgative.
(De Filipps, R. A., S. L. Maina, J. Crepin. Medicinal Plants of the Guianas. Smithsonian Institute. On-line publication. 12 June, 2006. http://www.mnh.si.edu/biodiversity/bdg/medicinal/index.html)
(Watson, D. P., J. T. Chinn, H. F. Clay, and J. L. Brewbaker. 1965. Hawaiian Plumerias. Univeristy of Hawaii Cooperative Extension Service, Circular 410.)

** The information provided above is not intended to be used as a guide for treatment of medical conditions using plants.

(Haber, W. A. 1984. Pollination by deceit in a mass flowering tropical tree Plumeria rubra L. (Apocynaceae). Biotropica 16(4): 269-275.)

of extensive hybridization and breeding programs. Hybrid individuals are produced by crossing different Plumeria species and the resulting progeny often have leaf and flower features that are intermediate between the two parent individuals. Different Plumeria species are crossed by transferring the pollen produced in a flower from one species onto the stigma of a flower from another species. The flower is tagged to record the parent species utilized for this cross, and seed pods will be produced within 2 weeks following pollination. The seeds are collected after approximately 7 months and are raised in cultivation to determine the suitability of flower characters for ornamental use. A large number of such crosses have been carried out in order to produce the diversity of flower color currently observed in cultivated Plumeria plants.

In India and Sri Lanka Plumerias are often planted near temples hence the common name “Temple flower”.
(Staples, G. W. and D. R. Herbst. 2005. A Tropical Garden Flora: Plants cultivated in the Hawaiian Islands and other tropical places. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu, Hawai`i.)

Plumeria leis became popular only after the 1940’s when they were first given to tourists on their arrival to Hawai`i. This practice created a huge demand for a large number of flowers and Plumeria trees were able to provide a large number of showy and fragrant flowers ideally suited for lei production.
The flowers of Plumeria rubra retain their color and fragrance well therefore is one of the most popular species for lei making. The scent of flowers can vary extensively from mild to strong and from pleasant to highly pungent. The common form called “Graveyard yellow” with white flowers and a large yellow center have the strong spicy lemon fragrance that is so popular in leis. The individual flowers are collected, soaked in water for 10 minutes, drained on a paper towel to dry, and then strung. The completed lei can be kept for 1 day at room temperature and for 2 days in the refrigerator.
(Staples, G. W. and D. R. Herbst. 2005. A Tropical Garden Flora: Plants cultivated in the Hawaiian Islands and other tropical places. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu, Hawai`i.)
(College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawai`i at Manoa. 2002. Growing Plants for Hawaiian Lei. Honolulu, Hawai`i.)