Make a frangipani lei. Relive memories. Frangipani bridal bouquet.

Exotic frangipani blooms and displays transcend to a sweet place.
The frangipani bloom is heralded as one of the sexiest flowers on earth due to its exotic hues and magnetic aroma that places you into a trance of love and admiration. This tropical plant and flower captivate people of all ages. Although the Hawaiians have lei making down pat, in this blog, we talk about how you can make your own lei at home, the meaning of where to position the flower behind your ear, and bridal bouquets. Then we want to hear about your memories and how you feel about the frangipani. So read on, and enjoy the trip down memory lane. Maybe this blog will inspire you to create more fond frangipani memories?!

How do I pick frangipani flowers from my tree?

1. Wait for the flower to open.
2. Choose a flower with curls in the petals as it has newly bloomed.
3. For safety reasons, pick the ones within your reach.
4. Hold at the base and pull.

Once picked do not refrigerate as they will die quicker, and if the flower is wilted, best leave it alone as the wilting is indicative that it will discolour and die, soon.

How do I make a lei at home?
Frangipani flowers are traditionally used in leis, Hawaiian necklaces made from leaves, seashells, ivory and flowers. The leis are made by stringing flowers through the centre until a complete chain is formed. To harvest the flowers, grasp individual blossoms at the base and remove them from the plant with a gentle tug. Blooms may be strung lengthwise on strings about 38–40 inches long, or the lei may be formed by stringing the flowers crosswise through the lower part of the flower tube. Flowers can be kept for several days in a plastic bag stored at 7-10 DegC.

Watch this 1 minute video on how easy it is to make your own lei at home.

Did you know?
The Polynesian custom is for leis to be worn at weddings. They are also given out to signify a genuine welcome and a fond farewell for visitors to Hawaii.

What else can I do with my frangipani?
Frangipanis can be picked and floated in shallow water bowls and added to a warm and inviting bath. They can be selected as full panicles and used in arrangements, filling the home with lovely aromas and colours. You can also preserve your frangipani flowers through a drying process and use them as potpourri. In some cultures, frangipani flowers are used to make frangipani purges and remedies, however, the flowers contain white milky sap which can be poisonous if consumed.

Are you getting married soon? Consider a frangipani wedding bouquet.
In modern-day culture, the trend to have the bride carrying a white frangipani bouquet, filled with the hypnotising fragrance of frangipani flowers are used in weddings worldwide. They can be arranged solely as a stunning bouquet or in conjunction with a myriad of other mixed flowers to showcase their beauty. If you want a frangipani wedding bouquet, be conscious to time your wedding with the flowering date in spring and summer, and shop around for freshness and quality. In Hawaii and modern Polynesian culture, the frangipani can be worn by women to indicate their relationship status. Over the right ear means you are seeking a relationship, and frangipani worn over the left refers to being taken.

What’s your favourite memory about frangipani?
As an Aussie kid, we all have a childhood memory about the frangipani. Because the tree just seamlessly has become part of our Aussie garden and landscape, you will find the air filled with the perfume and aromas of the frangipani. This intoxicating scent only enhances a summer breeze at your Aussie barbecue, where friends and families share prunings and broken branches to regrow and enjoy.

As adults, we introduced the beauty and divine scent to our children as toddlers, encouraging them to pick the flower up, smell it, and then put it behind their ears. Memories like that are the ones that make you smile and remind us of the magic in the simple things in life. So tell me, tell our Facebook community; what is your memory about the stunning frangipani? Was it a childhood introduction? Did you visit a house that had them? Or were you blessed with a lei on holiday? We’d love to hear your story. So head to our Facebook page and share away!