<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>The essential oil of one of the cultivars of <jats:italic>Plumeria rubra</jats:italic> L. ‘Irma Bryan’ growing in Hawaii was extracted by simultaneous distillation and extraction (SDE). The essential oil was analysed with GC and GC‐MS, and a total of 67 compounds were identified. β‐Phenylethyl alcohol, phenylacetaldehyde and methyl cinnamate were found to make a major contribution to the floral spicy scent of this flower.