Calotropis procera (Giant milkweed)

Giant milkweed, Apple of Sodom, roostertree, king’s crown, small crownflower, rubber bush, rubber tree

Giant milkweed is an evergreen shrub native to Northern and Tropical Africa, Western Asia, South Asia and Indochina. It is cultivated in parts of North America.

Plants: 6–7½′ (1.8–2.4 m) tall, with gray, furrowed, corky bark. Stems and fruits exude a bitter, milky latex when cut.

Leaves: Oblong-obovate leaves are light green, gray-green, or dark green, 3–7 ⨉ 2–5″ (7.6–17 ⨉ 5–12 cm) in size. They have sharp tips and dull white veins.

Flowers: Pale purple to white, waxy, and crown-like in shape, up to 1″ (2.5 cm) around. Each flower has a five-parted calyx and a bell-shaped, 5-lobed corolla. Flowers bloom in small umbels.

Fruits: Inflated oval pods 4–5″ (10–12 cm) long, with numerous brown parachute-bearing seeds (pappi).

Habitats: Sun or partial shade, in disturbed habitats, rangeland, and coastal dunes.

Edibility: Not edible. Stems, leaves, and fruits contain a bitter latex-like sap that is a toxic irritant to skin and eyes.

Medical: This species is under active investigation for medical applications, containing a wide variety of promising compounds.

8/15/2003 · South Caicos, Turks and Caicos Islands · By Heather A. Kent

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin)
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Asteridae	A large class that encompasses asters
Order	Gentianales	Gentians, coffee, gardenias, frangipani, many others
Family	Asclepiadaceae	Includes some herbs, twining shrubs, lianas, leafless stem succulents, rarely trees
Genus	Calotropis	Milkweeds, so called because of their milky sap (see also Asclepias)
Species	procera	Tall or slender

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Range: Zones 10-11:

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