Frangipani/ Plumeria/ chafa – October Tree Love

When everyone fell for the vanity of rose, She loved the sorrow of a Frangipani. – Anonymous(Online)

This beautiful tree meets and greets me daily. It’s planted in the lawns on the ground floor of my building. I daily sip my tea overlooking it. I was always amused by who would have named Frangipani and what its meaning was. Surprisingly after reading more about it, I found that it is the flower of death but also love. It symbolizes Love and Affection and Spirituality and Sacredness.

Frangipani (commonly known as Plumeria) is a tropical flowering plant known for its fragrant flowers and symbolic significance in various cultures. Its essence is about the lightness of living and clarity of vision. Frangipani trees are known for their resilience and ability to bloom even after they have been uprooted, symbolizing resilience and renewal.

Scientific Information

• Scientific Name: Plumeria spp.
• Family: Apocynaceae
• Origin: Native to Central America, the Caribbean, and tropical regions of the Americas, but now widely cultivated in many tropical and subtropical regions around the world.

Common Names in Different Languages

• English: Frangipani, Plumeria
• Hindi: गुलैन्ची (Gulanchi)
• Marathi: चाफा (Chafa)
• Tamil: செம்பருத்தி (Sembaruthi) (though this can also refer to Hibiscus in some contexts)
• Malayalam: കാപ്പൂർ (Kaappur)
• Telugu: దేవగန္ධ (Devagandha)
• Bengali: গোলাঞ্ছি (Golanchi)
• French: Frangipanier
• Spanish: Plumeria
• Indonesian/Malay: Kamboja (this is also associated with funeral rites in some regions)

Cultural Importance and Symbolism

Different cultures often associate Frangipani with beauty, love, and immortality. It plays a prominent role in:

• Hinduism and Buddhism: It is often used in religious offerings and is considered sacred.
• Hawaiian Culture: Known as the “lei flower,” it is used to make garlands, symbolizing hospitality, and aloha.
• Southeast Asian Countries: In places like Bali and Thailand, frangipani is often planted near temples or sacred spaces.

Uses of Frangipani

1. Medicinal: Traditionally used in herbal medicine for its anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, and anti-fungal properties. In some cultures, frangipani extracts are used to treat ulcers, wounds, and skin diseases.
2. Aromatherapy: Frangipani oil is used for relaxation, stress relief, and as a soothing agent. Its fragrant flowers are often used in perfumery.
3. Cosmetic Uses: Its extracts are used in lotions, shampoos, and body oils due to its soothing and moisturizing properties.
4. Decoration: Widely used in ornamental gardening for its striking, fragrant flowers. Frangipani blooms are also used for making leis in Hawaii and garlands in South Asia.
5. Culinary: In some cultures, the flowers are used to flavor certain dishes or teas, though care should be taken since parts of the plant can be toxic in large quantities.

Interesting Facts

• Despite its sweet fragrance, parts of the frangipani plant (such as the sap) can be toxic if ingested, so caution should be exercised, especially with pets.
• It is a drought-resistant plant, making it ideal for arid environments, and can grow even in poor soils.

Frangipani is a beautiful, fragrant flower that holds significant spiritual and cultural value across the world, while also offering various practical uses.

Tree Love

Moreover, I’m sharing my #TreeLove with the #Thursday Tree Love blog hop, a photo feature hosted by Parul Thakur. Coupled with this, this is my Love Your Planet “Earth” post, a post to make us aware of the trees around us.
Save trees, nurture, conserve, and preserve the trees around us and our planet. Do you love Trees?
Do you love knowing more about trees? Explore the trees in your neighborhood and join Tree Love.

You might also like to see my Tree Love in these Tree Posts:

• Did you hug a tree today?
• October Flowers of Parijaat
• Chinese Hackberry in Nilgiris
• A beautiful flowering Mango Tree
• The Vivid Gulmohar Tree
• X-mas Tree — That kept me sane in lockdown

Eco-Friendly with Prachi (#EcoFriendlyWithPrachi)

To add on, read and join the Sustainability with Prachi series and listen to interviews with Eco-conscious people who are trying their bit towards conscious and sustainable living practices only on Green Tatwa Talks. There is so much to learn and explore from all I have interacted with, Do listen and drop in your views in the comments. And, if you want to know Environment-related dates Click here. Moreover, along with eco-friendly discussions, I even share stories of gratitude for people who bring beautiful change to this world. For more Kisse Kahani, please tune in to my YouTube channel and check out all Green Talks episodes on my YouTube channel HERE.

Along with this, Support, share, and try to bring that one change in your life toward a greener tomorrow. Keep visiting.

Being Eco-Friendly is not a choice, make it a habit.

Without a doubt, sustainability is easier than you think. You don’t have to jump in by changing everything, start small to make the changes more eco-friendly, sustainable & a part of your daily life.