English Name: Frangipani, Plumeria
Malayalam Name: വെള്ളചെമ്പകം
Botanical Name: Plumeria alba L
Family: Apocynaceae
Flowering & Fruiting: December-June
Description: Plumeria is native to the Pacific Islands, the Caribbean, South America, and Mexico. In mild climates, they can grow to be large shrubs or even small trees. Plumeria can grow to be 30′ to 40′ tall and half as wide in tropical areas. Their thick succulent branches are widely spaced, round or pointed, and have long leathery, fleshy leaves in clusters near the branch tips. Because deciduous trees are sensitive to cold, their leaves fall in the early winter. White flowers with yellow centers are very fragrant on Common White Frangipani. The petals are small and heavily overlapping, giving the impression of a flower in bloom.