Tropical Plant Database - Plant Details

Plumeria rubra is a tree that grows in a “candelabrum” shape typical of Plumerias with a single trunk and multiple branches of a similar length that support an open spreading canopy. 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 latex of Plumeria has been utilized in tropical regions for medicine for the treatment of itches, swellings, and fevers. 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.)

All Plumeria species are utilized to make lei in Hawai`i and the varied colors of the different cultivated species and varieties make very attractive lei. 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.)

Plumeria rubra is native to continental tropical America though it is now widely cultivated throughout the world in tropical regions. 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 Costa Rica Plumeria rubra is pollinated by a number of different hawkmoth species. Pollination of this species is achieved through “floral mimicry”; no nectar is produced in the flowers as a reward for pollinators however hawkmoths are attracted to Plumeria flowers because they mimic the floral cues, including odor and visual clues, of nectar-producing flowers.
(Haber, W. A. 1984. Pollination by deceit in a mass flowering tropical tree Plumeria rubra L. (Apocynaceae). Biotropica 16(4): 269-275.)

The common name “Graveyard flower” was used prior to 1940’s for the white and yellow flowered Plumeria rubra trees which were frequently planted in cemeteries. 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.)

The wide range of cultivated varieties of Plumeria rubra with such varied colored flowers are the result 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.

We currently have 7 herbarium specimens for Plumeria rubra in our collection. Click on any specimen below to view the herbarium sheet data.

• 066189 - collected by C. R. Long in 1965
• 091557 - collected by Art Whistler in 1973
• 091556 - collected by Art Whistler in 1973
• 091559 - collected by Art Whistler in 1975
• 001527 - collected by Tim Flynn in 1988
• 039889 - collected by Liloa Dunn in 2003
• 046340 - collected by E. Albert Amor in 2004