The Plumeria has always had a place in ancient, and modern, Hawaiian culture.
The Plumeria is often used to make leis, as it comes in many colors, and has a sweet, and fragrant scent.
The flower is also worn by women to indicate their relationship status, over the right ear if seeking a relationship, and over the left if taken.
You can find Plumeria trees all through out the island chain.
The tree has some unique characteristics such as:
- some varieties go dormant during parts of the year and drop all their leaves and flower
- the tree has a sticky white sap with is poisonous
- the branches are very weak and are easily broken