What is the common name of plumeria? An analysis of the origin of its name
Other names for plumeria
Burmese gardenia, egg-yolk flower, Indian jasmine, big season flower.
Growth habits of plumeria
Plumeria is a sun-loving plant that prefers a warm, humid environment with plenty of sunlight. Although it can grow in semi-shaded conditions, its branches tend to grow leggy, resulting in fewer or even no flowers. In a damp, shaded environment, many aerial roots grow on the branches, which looks quite ugly.
Plumeria grows best in deep, fertile, well-drained, acidic soil rich in organic matter, so that the plant can be vigorous, with abundant flowers and vivid colors. In poor soil, plumeria grows poorly, with small flowers and dull colors.
Plumeria has poor cold tolerance. Its most suitable growing temperature is 20-26°C, and the overwintering temperature must not be lower than 8°C, otherwise it will suffer cold damage. In the vast number of towns south of the Tropic of Cancer in China, it can overwinter outdoors. In Central China and North China, potted plants must be brought indoors to overwinter.
Uses of plumeria
1. Ornamental value: Plumeria is deeply loved by people in many regions and countries. In Laos, plumeria is designated as the national flower and is highly revered; in the tropical tourist destination of Hawaii, people like to string the picked plumeria flowers into leis as wearable decorations, so plumeria is also a symbol of Hawaiian festivals. The plumeria tree has a beautiful shape, with many branches on the stem, in strange and varied forms. Its leaves resemble those of the loquat. After they fall in winter, semicircular leaf scars remain on the branches, much like deer antlers dotted with beautiful spots. It can be called the top choice among small trees for tropical landscaping, courtyard arrangement, and potted ornamental display.
2. Medicinal value: The flowers of plumeria can be used as medicine, with the effects of clearing heat and relieving summer heat, cleansing the intestines and stopping diarrhea, and relieving cough and reducing phlegm. They are used to treat heatstroke, dysentery, abdominal pain, and cough. The bark is thin and grayish green, rich in toxic white sap, and can be used for external application to treat scabies, redness and swelling, and other conditions.
3. Plumeria tea: Fresh flowers can be dried in the sun for brewing tea, commonly known as plumeria tea. Plumeria is one of the five flowers in Guangdong's famous herbal tea, Five-Flower Tea. It is cool in nature and sweet and bland in taste; it enters the large intestine and stomach meridians, and has the effects of moistening the lungs and detoxifying, clearing heat and removing dampness, and lubricating the intestines.
4. Other uses: Besides white plumeria, there are also red and yellow varieties. All can have their essential oils extracted for making high-grade cosmetics, soap, and food additives, and the price is quite high, with great potential for commercial development; they also have the effects of treating heat dysentery and moistening the lungs and detoxifying. The wood is white, light and soft, and can be used to make musical instruments, tableware, or furniture.
The flower language of plumeria
Nurturing hope, resurrection, rebirth.
Plumeria blooms from May to October every year. Although it has no mysterious legend, no elegant temperament, and no noble posture, it has a simple appearance, and it is precisely this simplicity that makes people feel even more hopeful.