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Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Nothing evokes that tropical feeling quite like the Frangipani. Its colors remind me of sunsets. If you've been to Hawaii, I'm sure you would associate Frangipani blossoms and its sweet fragrance with the tropical paradise. In the Philippines, we associate its heady perfume with death. Death because Frangipani, or Kalachuchi as it is known locally, is mostly used in sympathy wreaths. Frangipani trees are often planted in cemeteries, not because of any cultural significance, but because they are tough plants that can survive neglect, heat and drought, and still fill the air with wonderful scents.

My grandmother had an old Frangipani tree in the garden, and it was a source of my childhood imaginings of ghosts and otherworldly beings when its perfume filled the night air. Frangipani flowers are highly aromatic at night--the white flowers are more fragrant than the pink ones.

It is called Flor de Mayo in South America where it is a native, although there are claims that Frangipanis are indigenous to the Caribbean and were taken to the Americas by Spanish priests. Frangipani is related to Oleander and there more than 300 species. They are relatively small trees growing to only about 5-6 meters tall, with gnarled branches, long leaves and distinctive flowers. Frangipanis are deciduous and sensitive to cold weather, spreading and sparsely branched. A cut made on any part of the tree will produce a milky, sticky sap that is poisonous to both humans and animals.

There is a theory that Catholic missionary priests spread Frangipanis around the world as they traveled. This may explain why the Frangipani is popular and common in the Philippines and Thailand but very rare in China and Vietnam. Thailand and the Philippines welcomed the Christian missionaries while in China and Vietnam, they were persecuted until around the 1850s.

Little-known facts about Frangipanis:

Many Haiwaiian leis are made from Frangipani flowers

The colorful caterpillar Pseudosphinx tetrio feeds only on the leaves of Frangipani (Plumeria rubra)

Frangipanis are good hosts for dendrobium orchids

Frangipani is the national tree of Laos, where it is called dok jampa. It is regarded as a scared tree and every Buddhist temple in that country has Frangipanis in their courtyards.

Frangipani is the flower of Palermo in Sicily

It is also the national flower of Nicaragua and is featured in some of their bank notes

Frangipani trees were once considered taboo in Thai homes because of superstitious associations with the plant's Thai name, lantom, which is similar to ratom, a Thai word for sorrow. As a result, Frangipanis were thought to bring unhappiness.

In Caribbean cultures, the leaves are used as poultices for bruises and ulcers; the latex is used as liniment for rheumatism.

The Frangipani is associated with love in feng shui

In India, Frangipani is a symbol of immortality because of its ability to produce leaves and flowers even after it has been lifted from the soil. It is often planted near temples and graveyards, where fresh flowers fall daily upon the tombs.

In Hindu culture, frangipani flower means loyalty, and Hindu women put flowers on their hair on their wedding day.

In Vietnam, it is used for its healing qualities

In modern Polynesian culture, the frangipani can be worn by women to indicate their relationship status.

A Mexican myth believes that gods were born from Frangipani flowers

In Malay folklore, the scent of frangipani is associated with a vampire, a pontianak