A Snowbird in Paradise

This digital scrapbook layout shows some of what fascinates me about Florida. You can also see the tower where the Osprey are nesting. There is also (L to R) a Gerber Daisy, a Hibiscus, and Banana Tree...all from our wee piece of Paradise.From The Garden Pages of Window to my World

Plumeria (Frangipani) also known as the Lei flower, is native to warm tropical areas of the Pacific Islands, Caribbean, South America and Mexico. They can grow to be large shrubs or even small trees in mild areas of the U.S. In tropical regions, Plumeria may reach a height of 30' to 40' and half as wide. Their widely spaced thick succulent branches are round or pointed, and have long leather, fleshy leaves in clusters near the branch tips. Leaves tend to fall in early winter since they are deciduous and sensitive to cold.

The first two years we came down here I could not figure out the "tree" at the corner of the house. A relative in another town had the same kind of "tree" and she called it a Sausage Tree. She also said there were beautiful sweet-smelling flowers late in the spring.

I asked some online friends who lived in Florida and they called it a "Frangipani" or "Plumeria". Well, at least that gave me a name for some research. Two years ago I saw my first Frangipani flower the day we left to go back North. Last year I went North for a month for Grandma Duties, and returned in May. The Frangipani was in bloom and the smell was awesome!

This year we had a really warm January and the tree put out a couple of very early blooms. Again, the scent could be detected for 50 feet or more in each direction. What a cool choice for Hawaii as their State Flower!