Types of Plumeria

Plumeria alba is the national flower of Laos, where it is known under the local name champa or "dok champa". In Bengali culture, most white flowers, and in particular, plumeria (Bengali, চম্পা chômpa or চাঁপা chãpa), are associated with funerals and death.

The Singapore Plumeria, Plumeria obtusa, is evergreen though it is a little less cold tolerant than other plumerias. Flowers come only in white with a little yellow center. Much more fragrant that other plumeria varieties. It is my favorite plumeria.

Plumeria pudica is one of the everblooming types with non-deciduous, evergreen leaves. Another species that retains leaves and flowers in winter is Plumeria obtusa; though its common name is "Singapore," it is originally from Colombia.

The common name "frangipani" comes from a sixteenth-century marquis of the noble family in Italy who claimed to invent a plumeria-scented perfume, but in reality made a synthetic perfume that was said at the time to resemble the odor of the recently discovered flowers.