This flower reminds me of my first vacations in the Caribbean, as well as Mauritius, Réunion Island, Bali, and India. Ever since those travels, I’ve been especially fond of its scent, which evokes a sun-drenched fragrance of holidays and monoi (see Enfleurage).
I’ve always loved working with exotic and solar notes in my creations—like I did for Guerlain perfumes such as Terracotta, Mimosa Tiaré, or L’Instant. The frangipani flower has a remarkably complex scent, but its fragrance fades quickly after picking.
Frangipani Origins and Symbolism
The frangipani (Plumeria) is a flowering shrub native to Central America (Caribbean, Mexico, Venezuela), now common across Asia and tropical climates. In its natural habitat, it can grow up to eight meters tall. Its blooms—with yellow centers and petals in white, pink, or yellow—release a mesmerizing scent, especially at night. Note: the sap is toxic.
In Laos, the dok champa is the national flower. Across Asia, the frangipani is seen as a tree of eternal life. In Polynesia, it’s linked to spirits. In India and Bali, it’s known as the “temple flower,” used as offerings in Hindu and Buddhist rituals. Its white petals symbolize the purity of the soul.
In the Pacific Islands, women wear it behind the ear—on the right if seeking love, on the left if taken. Like tuberose, jasmine, or tiare flowers, it’s used to weave floral crowns and necklaces.
Olfactory Description
The scent of this flower cannot be extracted naturally. Distillation and solvent extraction fail to capture it. Perfumers therefore recreate it through reconstruction, blending natural ingredients like ylang-ylang and jasmine with select synthetic molecules.
Frangipani has a powerful presence and is often combined with solar flowers and white blossoms like tuberose, magnolia, gardenia, and tiare. It usually appears in heart notes, but can be perceived as early as the top notes.
Its complex scent contains molecules also found in benzoin, mimosa, cassia, orange blossom, lavender, geranium, and rose.
The Origin of the Name “Frangipani”
The Latin name Plumeria honors botanist Charles Plumier. The French word “frangipani” may come from Muzio Frangipani, an Italian marquis who created an almond-scented perfume for gloves. His descendant, Pompeo Frangipani, developed the famous frangipane glove treatment in the 17th century.
The formula evolved over time to include jasmine, rose, tonka bean, iris, bergamot, saffron, balms, and vanilla. Perhaps the marquis detected an almond-like facet in the flower—or even included its scent in his blend. Some sources credit Mercurio Frangipani with the flower’s discovery. Others suggest early botanists associated the taste of the plant’s fruit with French frangipane (almond and sugar paste).
Often confused with the tiare flower, frangipani shares exotic, sunny notes typical of Polynesia.
Medicinal Properties
- In the Caribbean: the bark is a purgative; the leaves aid healing.
- In Africa: it’s believed to promote milk production.
- In Asia: the sap was used to treat warts.
- Known for its calming and soothing effects.
Iconic Frangipani Perfumes
- Beyond Paradise – Estée Lauder
- Dancing on the Moon – Maison Margiela
- Lily of the Beach – Clinique
- Flower Red Edition – Kenzo
- Flora Gorgeous Gardenia – Gucci
- Light Blue, Blue Sun – Dolce & Gabbana
- Bronze Goddess – Estée Lauder
- Fleurs – Boucheron
- Beige – Chanel
- Frangipani Flower – Jo Malone
- La Dompteuse Encagée – Serge Lutens
- Songes – Annick Goutal
- Kenzo Amour – Kenzo
- La Femme – Prada
- Léonard – Léonard
- Éclat, Belle de Soleil, Magnolia – Fragonard
- L’Air du Paradis – Nina Ricci
- Ananas Fizz – L’Artisan Parfumeur
- Equinox Bloom – Penhaligon’s
- Frangipani Blossom – The Merchant of Venice
- Frangipani Flower Cologne – Jo Malone
- Sun Goddess – Musicology
- Tsingy – Les Parfumeurs du Monde
- Coeur d’Ylang – Comptoir Sud Pacifique
- Une Nuit à Bali, Murmure des Dieux – Une Nuit Nomade
- La Douceur de Siam – Dusita
