Gallery The Tropical Zone ~ Flowers Of Hawai'i

Plumeria Makawao Maui Hawai'i

Plumeria blooms on a lovely tree at our home.

I cloned out a bit of bark on the left of the frame, adjusted the shadows/midtones/highlights to deepen the natural black background, adjusted curves to set the white balance and highlight the natural colours in early morning light, then added an enamel texture to the finished image.

“The beautiful Plumeria comes in a wide variety of delightful colours and bloom virtually year round. Plumeria (Frangipani) also known as the Lei flower, is native to warm tropical areas of the Pacific Islands, Caribbean, South America and Mexico. Plumerias may grow to be large shrubs or even small trees in the Hawaiian Islands and in mild areas of the U.S on the mainland. In tropical regions, Plumeria may reach a height of 30’ to 40’ and half as wide. They have widely spaced thick succulent branches, round or pointed, long leather, fleshy leaves in clusters near the branch tips.

Plumeria, common name Frangipani; syn. Himatanthus Willd. ex Roem. & Schult.) is a small genus of 7-8 species native to tropical and subtropical Americas. The genus consists of mainly deciduous shrubs and trees. It produces flowers ranging from yellow to pink depending on form or cultivar. From Mexico and Central America, Plumeria has spread to all tropical areas of the world, especially Hawai`i, where it grows so abundantly that many people think that it is indigenous here. The genus, originally spelled Plumiera, is named in honour of the seventeenth-century French botanist Charles Plumier, who traveled to the New World documenting many plant and animal species. The common name “Frangipani” comes from an Italian noble family, a sixteenth-century marquess of which invented a plumeria-scented perfume. In Mexico, the Nahuatl (Aztec language) name for this plant is “cacalloxochitl” which means “crow flower.” It was used for many medicinal purposes such as salves and ointments. Depending on location, many other common names exist: “Kembang Kamboja” in Indonesia, “Temple Tree” or “Champa” in India, “Kalachuchi” in the Philippines, “Araliya” or “Pansal Mal” in Sri Lanka, “Champa” in Laos, “Lantom” or “Leelaawadee” in Thai. Many English speakers also simply use the generic name “plumeria”. In several Pacific islands, such as Tahiti, Fiji, Hawai`i, Tonga and the Cook Islands Plumeria is used for making leis. In modern Polynesian culture, it can be worn by women to indicate their relationship status – over the right ear if seeking a relationship, and over the left if taken. P. alba is the national flower of Nicaragua and Laos, where it is known under the local name “Sacuanjoche” (Nicaragua) and “Champa” (Laos)”. Information Source: Wikipedia

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