Plumeria or Frangipani

are the two common English names for this beautiful tropical flowering shrub or small tree that comes in white, pink or red varieties. This white one that I pass on my walks to town one website called the “Plumeria rubra var. acutifolia.”

When I lived in West Africa it was called Frangipani by both English and French speakers and by most tribal languages. In Spanish, frangipanis are also referred to as alhelí, alhelí cimarrón, and suche, though in Costa Rica they are called frangipani, plumeria, juche or cacalojoche. Every Central American country seems to have a different name! 🙂

Here’s 2 photos of the one at a house on 8th Avenue in Atenas . . .

Plumeria or Frangipani Tropical Flowers, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
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Too White-Bright to Photograph

At least too bright for a good cellphone photo (glare), but the green leaves are nice! 🙂 I pass this house 3 to 6 times a week on my walks to and from town and the other day these white flowers that I believe are Plumeria or Frangipani were just beautiful! But hard to photograph. One of my many joys of living in the tropics is the abundance of beautiful flowers blooming here year around!

These might be Plumeria or Frangipani flowers, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica.

¡Pura Vida!

Check out my GALLERIES: FLORA and FOREST Costa Rica!

I walk in beauty!

Frangipani (or Plumeria) tree in Alajuela.

Beauty is before me.  

Beauty is behind me
Beauty is above me
Beauty is below me


I walk in beauty!

         – Navajo Poem


All of nature is beauty to me and in Costa Rica I feel like I am surrounded by nature more than anywhere else I have ever been. And as a walker, I truly walk in beauty! (You see more walking!)