The Plumeria
Fragrance
It’s the reason we get occasional reports of Aunties on the mainland breaking into tears when they open our box.
It is how plumerias can literally turn a lawn party into a luau. Way better than orchids.
“Yeah, but how and why does the fragrance make such a difference? Why does it have such power?” I pondered this mystery for many years. Finally I had the good fortune to ask a PhD neurologist, “What’s going on?” He told me –
“There is good reason for [plumerias] making Aunties cry. The sense of smell bypasses the cortex (site of rational and logical thinking, etc.) and is directly connected to the limbic system of the brain (the ‘primitive brain’, the source of strong emotions). So a simple scent is ‘hardwired through the brain’ to trigger strong memories and emotions.”
As I understand it then, the fragrance of plumerias is making connections in our brains that are literally beyond our imagination. It’s the ultimate “hook” that says you’re in Hawaii, even when you’re not.
History
Plumerias are named after a French botanist, Charles Plumier, who first cataloged the tropical New World flora in the 17th century. The variety of trees cultivated at Molokai Plumerias is more formally known as plumeria rubra acutifolia.
In Hawaii these plumerias are called by several different names- Common Yellow, Celadine, Hawaiian Yellow or even Graveyard Yellow. It is by far the most well-known variety. No wonder it has been the favorite of lei makers since it first came to Hawaii over 100 years ago. We call it Classic Yellow.
Our plumerias are also called frangipani by many people. The story goes that when the explorers first came to the New World and smelled our favorite flower they were immediately reminded of a popular perfume back in Europe called frangipani. This borrowed, common name has stuck over the years and is the only known instance of a flower being named after the fragrance instead of vice versa.
By the way. The plumerias only start out yellow. As they age they fade into white around the outside and eventually into the middle. But please don’t call our plumerias white. We pick only the flowers that have just opened.
