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Image of
Calotropis gigantea or
Bowstring Hemp or
Crown Flower or Giant Calotrope or Giant Milkweed or Purple
Milkweed or
Swallow-wort
coming soon...
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Calotropis
gigantea
(Bowstring Hemp, Crown Flower, Giant Calotrope, Giant
Milkweed, Purple Milkweed, Swallow-wort) |
Origin: Native to India, China, Sri Lanka
Family: Asclepiadaceae
Light:
Sun-part
shade
Height: Can reach 15'
Spread: 6-8'
Blooms:
Exotic, year round, white, light purple with a distinctive crown-like
staminal corona, umbellate cyme on leaf axil, most floriferous in Summer
Foliage:
Herbaceous, blue-green,
veined, fuzzy
Seeds: Hairy
Soil: Well-drained, mostly sandy with some clay
Water: Regular, drought tolerant
Propagation: Seeds, stem cuttings, suckers
Uses: Landscaping, specimen, ornamental, containers, cut
flowers
Problems: Resistant to pest and disease
Caution: Plant can be invasive. Parts of plant poisonous, do
not eat
Comments:
Calotropis gigantea or
Bowstring Hemp or Crown Flower or Giant Calotrope or Giant Milkweed or
Swallow-wort is a fast-growing,ornamental, medium to large shrub with a
suckering growth habit. It bears ornate lilac blossoms, most
abundant being in Summer. Calotropis gigantea produces nectar-rich
flowers which are magmets for butterflies and bees. It is a larval
plant for the Monarch butterflies.
Caterpillars of
'Common Crow' and 'Plain Tiger' butterflies feast on the leaves.
The
Florida Atala Butterfly have also likes to feast of the nectar of
Bowstring Hemp flowers. The cut flowers are long lasting and are a
favorite amog florists.
In Hawaii, these beautiful flowers are used in making leis or garlands.
Bowstring Hemp
is easily propagated from seeds, suckers or stem cuttings in well-drained sandy,
clayey soil in a sunny to part shade environment. Crown
Flower
can also be container
cultivated. It loves humidity and tolerates drought well.
Giant
Calotrope is able to thrive in coastal areas; it
does not tolerate frost.
Water and wind helps to transport the hairy seeds. In its native
habitat, it is found growing wildly in poor soil along roadsides,
coastal dunes and dry open disturbed areas.
Giant Milkweed is a very useful tree in India. The
leaves possess medicinal value and have been used to treat various
ailments; tests are also being carried out on the anti-diarrhea
properties of this plant. The white latex from the plant have been
used to extract thorns from the skin.
USDA Hardiness Zones : 10b-11 |
