Flowers are not only essential for the survival of our planet, they are also an important part of our lives. They have been an endless pool of inspiration for artists who fell in love with their colors and scents, and we are still unable to completely recreate the beauty of a flower in any way. Without them our world would be dull and colorless, and we wouldn’t have such beauty surrounding us from all corners.
Flower symbolism is particularly interesting, because it dates back thousands of years. People used flowers to decorate their homes, to say goodbye or to welcome someone who was very dear to them. Little by little, flowers became an important part of our lives and the symbolism behind it is what makes it even more important.
Today, we devote special attention when we are picking perfect flowers for our loved ones. For Valentine’s Day, you can’t just pick up any flower; this has to be the perfect vessel that is going to send your message safely to your partner.
The messages behind flowers vary and we have to be careful not to choose the wrong one. Flower colors and different sorts all add up to the flower symbolism and to the importance of each flower individually.
We will be exploring the symbolic world of the Plumeria flower in this text, and the importance it has for us. Each flower is special for its own reason and today we are going to look deeper into the hidden meaning of this beautiful flower.
Meaning of the Plumeria flower
Like I mentioned earlier, every flower has its own symbolic meaning that we need to know about. The symbolic meaning behind a flower is a combination of the way people saw a certain flower and what its purpose was in general. Sometimes flowers were well known as symbols of love and romance, while other times people stayed away from them as much as possible.
Meaning of the Plumeria flower are:
- New beginning
- New life or birth
- Charm
- Gracefulness
- Beauty
New beginning – This gorgeous flower was always a symbol of a new start and new beginning. This was the go-to flower in wedding ceremonies and baptisms, because it represented a beginning of a new chapter in life and forgetting about the past. Even today, people use it quite often as a decoration in wedding ceremonies, where this beautiful flower offers more than just its subtle beauty but also its strong symbolic value.
Birth, new life – Similar to the above meaning, the Plumeria flower is also a symbol of new life or birth. You can already guess that this is the perfect flower to gift to someone who just had a baby or that this flower is the perfect decoration for baptisms.
Charm and grace – This gentle flower is also a symbol of charm and grace. It is no wonder because the simple appearance of this flower reminds us of exactly these qualities. These are simple but still beautiful flowers you can gift to your loved one just for every day, when you want to show the people you love how much they actually mean to you.
Beauty – It is hard for a flower not to represent or symbolize beauty, when each flower is beautiful in its own way. Plumeria flower has a gentle and slightly non-intrusive beauty, that captivates us and wins over our hearts.
Spring – Plumeria flower is also a symbol of the spring and coming of warmer days. This flower announces more pleasant days and the beginning of a new chapter each year. Saying goodbye to the cold days and welcoming the pleasant and warm days of spring and later summer.
Plumeria – Etymological meaning
The name Plumeria actually comes from a French botanist called Charles Plumier, who was the first person to describe this tropical flower. Charles stumbles upon Plumeria flower in the 17th century and marked this sort of flowers as a new discovery, at least for one part of the world. The scientific name for Plumeria is frangipani flower, and this name came from an Italian nobleman who used to make scented gloves for the rich in the 16th century.
Plumeria flower has a strong and beautiful scent and because of this it is often used in perfumes. Others suggest that the name frangipani came from the French word frangipanier which actually means coagulated milk, which is what Plumeria flowers resemble.
Plumeria – Symbolism
Symbolism of the Plumeria flower is usually positive and joyful. Many cultures accepted this flower sort and included it into their folk stories and ancient myths. Almost all of them see this beautiful flower in a similar way, which makes it even more interesting to see how this small flower woke up same feelings even though it grew in different parts of the world.
In Hawaiian culture, Plumeria flower symbolized positive energy and it was used in celebrations of very special occasions. The Plumeria flowers were also used as symbols of the relationship status of a person, so if a woman wore Plumeria flower behind her left ear, this meant she was taken, and if the flower was behind her right ear, this meant she was single.
In Hindu culture, Pulmeria flower symbolized dedication and devotion to someone. This flower was used in wedding ceremonies or in any kind of occasion which celebrated these two feelings. In Buddhism this flower was a symbol of immortality. The reason behind such a strong symbolic meaning was the ability of the Plumeria tree to produce new blooms even after it was uprooted.
In Laos, this flower was considered to be sacred and they usually planted Plumeria trees outside temples and shrines. Once they were planted, the trees could live for hundreds of years, which was remarkable to humans.
In Mayan culture, the Plumeria flower represented life and birth while in Mexican legends, the Plumeria tree gave birth to the gods themselves. To summarize the symbolic meanings, the Plumeria flower has a very strong symbolic meaning and importance for so many cultures and even today this symbolic heritage continues to be worshipped.
Plumeria – Color meaning
Plumeria flower comes in several colors and each color represents something different. Colors can add or take away from the symbolism of a flower, but in most cases it accentuates the symbolic value that is already present and tied to a certain flower sort. The Plumeria flower comes in these colors:
White
- Color white symbolizes spirituality and innocence, which is the reason why this color of Plumeria is mostly used in wedding ceremonies and baptisms. Color white is very neutral and adds up to the already strong spiritual symbolism of the Plumeria flower.
Yellow
- Yellow is a symbol of joy, happiness and optimism. This also the color of friendship, therefore gifting your dear friends yellow Plumeria flowers can’t be a mistake.
Orange
- Just like yellow, orange is a symbol of positive energy but also beauty. This bold color is certainly going to be a perfect gift for someone who is very dear to you and to someone you want to show affection to.
Pink
- Color pink is a symbol of love, romance and gentleness. The pink Plumeria is a perfect gift to someone you love and to whom you want to show your emotions to.
Red
- Color red is a symbol of love, romance and passion. Red Plumerias are very beautiful and the color red combined with the strong symbolism behind the Plumeria flower, sends out an especially direct message of love and devotion to anyone who is the receiver of this beautiful flower.
Purple
- Color purple symbolizes nobility, royalty and beauty. This flower is a perfect gift for someone who is not just anyone to you. This gorgeous flower is also a beautiful decoration for a special occasion and it definitely attracts attention of everyone.
Green
- Color green is a symbol of renewal, nature and energy. The green Plumeria simply invites positive energy into your home and it makes your day much brighter and full of optimism.
Plumeria – Botanical facts and characteristics
Plumeria belongs to the family of tropical plants with colorful flowers and beautiful scents. It is known among people by the name Frangipani, which was given to them in the 16th century by the Italians. Marquis Frangipani was a nobleman who created scented gloves, and the scent of Pulmeria flowers reminded them of these gloves. Depending on the type and method of planting it can be grown as a little tree or as a decorative shrub in the garden, in form of a Bonsai tree. In the continental areas it is mainly grown in pots to survive in the warmer winters.
The Plumeria sort belongs to the family of oleander (Apocynaceae) and has eight basic species and thousands of cultivations. It is named in honor of the French botanist Charles de Plumieus of the 17th century, who traveled throughout America and collected data on the plant and animal world.
Plumeria originates from Central America from where it spread into all tropical regions of the world. Depending on the species it can grow from 1 to 6 m, and in tropical regions up to 15 m.
Most species of Plumeria are deciduous except for couple of species. The shape of the leaves differs in all types. Stems are soft and very fragile, and in case of damage, a juice is going to come from the wound, which is poisonous in large quantities.
Plumeria blooms continuously about three months, and species such as peas and obdusa bloom throughout the year. The flowers are grouped into clusters, and they can be white, yellow, pink, red. The size of the flowers depends on the type and can be from 2 to 10 cm. The opiate scent of flowers usually spreads in the air in the evening.
The flower of Plumeria includes a wide range of meanings such as charm, grace, beauty, spring, new life or birth, a new beginning or creativity. Plumeria is a symbol of eternal life and is often used in religious rituals. In the Hindu culture Plumeria, signifies devotion and dedication, and in Buddhism it symbolizes immortality.
In Hawaii its flowers are knitted into wreaths that are handed to visitors, and women carry it in their hair. Sweet tropical scent of flowers is available as perfume, colognes and essential oil and belongs to one of the most popular scents in the world. Even though you are unfamiliar with the scent, once you smell it in perfume you will instantly recognize it, because it is so widely spread.
Plumeria – Secret message
The messages behind flowers vary and we have to be careful not to choose the wrong one. Flower colors and different sorts all add up to the flower symbolism and to the importance of each flower individually.
The Plumeria flower is simple but still so beautiful and eye-catching. It captures our hearts with its simplicity and gorgeous scent. This beautiful scent is easily recognized since it has become one of the top notes in many famous fragrances around the world.
The secret message behind Plumeria flower is to always keep an optimistic approach and to never lose your faith in the positivity. This gorgeous flower is going to take your breath away once you see it in person, and it will be a beautiful decoration inside your home or even in your garden.
The Plumeria flower symbolizes devotion, spirituality and love. It is amazing to see how such a simple flower can have so much texture and meaning behind it, without being too aggressive or too in-your face with symbolic value.
