Plant of the week: Plumeria, or frangipani, Hawaiian lei flower

Plumeria, or frangipani, Hawaiian lei flower

Light: full sun to part shade

Height: 6 to 18 feet (depends on variety)

Spread: 3 to 15 feet (depends on variety)

USDA Hardiness Zone: 10

Origin: Tropical Brazil, Mexico and the Caribbean

You know the long days of summer have arrived when the plumeria (Plumeria) is blooming.

This tropical has a thick green trunk (or stem) with ovate leaves that grow from the top or terminal tip of the branch.

The real excitement, however, comes from the five-petaled, tubular flowers that appear in clusters at the top end of the branches.

The blossoms' colors can be pink, white, red, yellow or a combination of two, with a tropical fragrance reminiscent of citrus, jasmine or gardenia.

Plumeria is most fragrant at night to attract its primary pollinator, the nocturnal sphinx moth, yet this plant offers no nectar or nutrients for its pollinators; as the moth searches in vain for nectar, it successfully moves pollen from one plant to another.

Enjoy the divine fragrance of varieties of plumeria in the Pacific Islands Water Garden Biome at Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens.

— Barbara Arnold

Franklin Park Conservatory