ABOUT
Clark Little, Jim Little and Dane Little
Since 1973
– Celebrating 50 Years –
Little Plumeria Farms
Started by Jim Little as a hobby over fifty years ago in 1973, the farm has grown into a world renown plumeria farm run by three generations of Littles – Jim, son Clark and grandson Dane. With 20 acres of plumeria plants, Little Plumeria Farms is the largest collections of rare hybrid plumerias in the world.
Jim’s enthusiasm for plumeria began when Bill Moragne, the pioneer of hybridizing, demonstrated to him the technique of cross-pollination. After this introduction, JL Pink Pansy was created and became Jim’s first successful hybrid plumeria flower. Over the next five decades, hundreds of exotic color combinations, fragrances, compact growers, dwarfs and miniatures followed.
In 2023, the farm opened its gardens to the public for the first time by offering special guided tours. Within a year, USA TODAY named Little Plumeria Farms the Best New Attraction in America in 2024.
Experience walking through the Rare Hybrid Plumeria Garden featuring a curated collection of the rarest flowers. Surround yourself with plumerias on all sides in the Plumeria fields and pick your own flowers in designated areas. Hear the stories behind these beautiful and fragrant creations. See why the plumeria flower is so beloved in Hawaii and an integral part of our island culture.
PLUMERIA
Hawai’i is home to some of the most exotic plumeria (/pluːˈmɛriə/), also known as frangipani, found anywhere in the world. Plumerias belong to the Apocynaceae family, which is composed of approximately 170 genera and 2,000 species. There are about twenty genera to be found in Hawaii’i as cultivated ornamentals.
The genus Plumeria was named to commemorate Charles Plumier (1646-1706), a French botanist who traveled the world on botanical excursions searching, collecting, and studying plumerias along with other floral interests. When the first yellow-white flowered tree was introduced to Hawai’i by Dr. William Hillebrand in 1860 it became a celebrated tree, popular in Hawai’i’s landscaping.
In several Pacific islands, such as Hawaii, Tahiti, Fiji, Samoa, New Zealand, Tonga, and the Cook Islands, Plumeria species are used for making leis. In Hawaii, the flower is called melia. In modern Polynesian culture including Hawaii, the flower can be worn by women to indicate their relationship status—over the right ear if seeking a relationship, and over the left if taken.
Sources: Growing Plumerias in Hawai’i and Around the World by Jim Little, Wikipedia, and College of Tropical Agriculture & Human Resources, University of Hawaii
