The most common English name for plumeria is frangipani. You'll hear this name used in Australia, the UK, and across much of Europe. But plumeria goes by several other English names too. Temple tree, egg flower, and West Indian jasmine are all names for the same plant. The name you hear depends on where in the world you happen to be.
The frangipani name origin goes back to an Italian nobleman in the 1500s. Marquis Muzio Frangipani made a perfume that smelled a lot like the flower we know today. When Europeans first found plumeria in the Caribbean, the scent reminded them of his perfume. So they gave your beloved flower the name frangipani. There's also a French link. The word frangipanier may tie back to a phrase that means coagulated milk. If you've ever seen the thick, milky sap that leaks from a cut plumeria stem, you'll understand why that name fits.
When I first traveled to Australia, I heard everyone say frangipani. Then on my next trip to India, I heard temple tree. I didn't realize they were talking about the same plant until someone pointed at the flowers and used both names. That trip taught me that your location shapes what you call this flower more than anything else. In Chinese communities, you'll hear people call it egg flower because the white and yellow blooms look like a cracked egg from a distance.
The scientific name Plumeria comes from a French botanist named Charles Plumier. He sailed to the Caribbean in the late 1600s and studied the plants you now grow in your garden. He was one of the first Europeans to document this flower in detail. Other scientists honored his work by naming the entire genus after him. So the word plumeria isn't English at all. It's a Latin form of a French last name. You're using a 300-year-old tribute every time you say the word. That's something fun to share with your gardening friends.
Some English names for this flower come from darker roots. In parts of Southeast Asia and the Caribbean, people call it the graveyard tree. Why? Because you'll find plumeria planted in cemeteries all across those regions. The tree's long life and sweet scent made it a natural choice for gravesites in your area. If you hear someone use this name, don't be put off. It comes from a place of respect for the dead, not from any spooky meaning.
West Indian jasmine is another name you might run into if you read older gardening books. Early English writers compared plumeria's sweet scent to jasmine and tagged it with that name. The two plants aren't related at all, but the fragrance link stuck for a while. You won't hear this name much today, but it pops up in older texts. If you dig through old plant catalogs from the 1800s, you'll spot it. In my experience reading these old books, the name shows up more than you'd expect.
Frangipani
- Where used: Australia, United Kingdom, and most of Europe call it frangipani in both casual talk and garden shops.
- Name source: Comes from the Italian Marquis Frangipani who made a perfume with a similar sweet floral scent.
- How common: This is the most used English name for plumeria across the globe and you'll see it on plant labels everywhere.
Temple Tree
- Where used: India, Sri Lanka, and parts of Southeast Asia use this name because the tree grows near Hindu and Buddhist temples.
- Name source: The practice of planting plumeria at temple grounds gave the tree this title centuries ago.
- How common: Very popular across South Asia and you'll hear it daily if you visit gardens or temple grounds in the region.
Egg Flower
- Where used: Chinese communities in Southeast Asia and parts of southern China use this name for the plant.
- Name source: The white petals with a yellow center look like a cracked egg, giving it this visual nickname.
- How common: Used mainly in Chinese-speaking areas and you may hear it at Asian garden markets and nurseries.
All of these plumeria common names point to the same beautiful tree with the same sweet scent. The name you use says more about your background than it does about the plant. Whether you call it frangipani, temple tree, or egg flower, you're talking about the same great plant. Pick the name that feels right to you and enjoy the blooms.
Read the full article: Plumeria Flower: A Grower's Guide
