Asclepias currasavica
- Leaves of milkweeds are eaten by monarch caterpillars
- Non-native Mexican is common in nurseries
- Cut back to 6” Nov-Feb.
- Native A. tuberosa needs good drainage; do not disturb its taproot when transplanting; or try it
- A asperula and A. viridis from seed
Butterflies love this plant, and it provides a great food source for them! Commonly called Mexican Butterfly Weed, Blood Flower or Tropical Milkweed, these showy plants have blooms in the colors or red, orange and yellow. In addition to the butterflies being attracted to Mexican Butterfly Weed plants, the plants are also used as a medicinal herb. The bloom season is long, lasting from early summer up until the first frost. The Mexican Butterfly Weed herb is a tender perennial that if grown in containers can be wintered indoors for areas were there are freezing temperatures.
Common Names: Tropical Milkweed, Blood Flower, Mexican Milkweed, Scarlet Milkweed, Indian Root, Swallow-wort, (Spanish: Cancecillo, Talayote)
Humans and/or animals may have allergic reactions if part(s) of this plant are consumed or by coming into contact with sap from bruised or broken plant parts.
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