It is also the official symbol of Laos, a waxy flower with sweet scent that varies in colors. It blooms everyday and lasts for a long time, making it a good decoration in ceremonies or as a garland. The tree of the flower can also be seen near monasteric areas and is very common throughout the country of Laos.

• Botanical Name: Plumeria rubra

• Common Name

  • en: Frangipani, Plumeria, Templetree

  • id: Kembang Kamboja

  • lao: Dok Champa

  • fil: Kalachuchi

Dok Champa represents sincerity and joy in life. Laotians generally consider all Plumeria species as their National Flower. In the 20th century (1942?) a song about Champa Flower was composed by Maha Phoumy Chittaphong and rhythm designed by Outtama Choulamany, the former vice minister of education and sports. The text of the song can be read by clicking here.

Cover image: 〈Plumeria-0006-Zachi-Evenor〉 by Zachi Evenor, licensed under CC-BY-SA-4.0.

This article was first published on Snoworld on 2007-10-13 from the Philippines.

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〈Laos National Flower: Plumeria rubra〉 © 2007 Yohan Yukiya Sese Cuneta.
License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC-BY-SA-4.0), except where noted.