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    • Photo of Asclepias curassavica flower by Far Out Flora

    Photo by Far Out Flora

    Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic

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    Asclepias curassavica

    Also Known As

    • Blood Flower
    • Mexican Milkweed

    Plant type

    perennial

    size

    • H: 3'-4'
    • W: 2'-4'

    planting zones

    • 8b-11

    More Options

    Asclepias curassavica plant details

    Asclepias curassavica is a broadleaf semi-evergreen perennial with blue and green foliage. In fall, spring, summer and winter orange, red and yellow flowers emerge. Attracts bees and butterflies making it an excellent addition to pollinator gardens. Grows well with sun - mostly sun and regular - low water. Drought tolerant once established. Adapts to various soil conditions. Does well in average, lean, rich and well-drained soil. A good option if you're seeking something heat tolerant and humidity tolerant.

    CHARACTERISTICS OF Asclepias curassavica

    Plant type: perennial
    Plant family: apocynaceae
    Foliage: semi-evergreen blue and green
    Mature size: 2 FT - 4 FT - wide, 3 FT - 4 FT - tall
    Flowers: orange, red and yellow blooms in fall, spring, summer and winter
    Uses: border plant, container plant, cutting garden, showy

    GROWING CONDITIONS for Asclepias curassavica

    USDA Zones: 8b - 11
    Sun exposure: sun - mostly sun
    Watering frequency: regular - low
    Resistant to: deer and rabbit, heat and humidity
    Soil needs: average, lean, rich and well-drained

    Nursery contributed plant descriptions

    Shrubby perennial milkweed to 3’ high and wide; upright stems topped in summer by red and orange bi-colored flowers that produce nectar for butterflies, leaves provide food for caterpillars. Full sun, well drained soil, drought tolerant and deer resistant. But back in fall. USDA Z8-11

    By: Secret Garden Growers

    Asclepias curassavica is a tender perennial milkweed grown in Canada as a stunning annual to 2-3 feet tall with blooms in scarlet red and orange from June to October followed by pods opening to reveal silky fibres. Its bloom period is much longer and its fiery colours unique amongst the whites and pinks of the other species. Hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies (including Monarchs) are attracted to the flowers.

    By: Phoenix Perennials and Specialty Plants Ltd.

    Beautiful bright red-and-yellow milkweed. Very tender, but very long blooming. Can be weedy in warmer climates. _Zone 9

    By: Arrowhead Alpines

    A butterfly attracting, hardy, upright, evergreen sub-shrub from South America. Small, deep orange, and yellow flowers, are borne from spring through to autumn, in flat clusters, atop the vertical, red tinted stems, clothed in alternating pairs, of narrow, lance shaped leaves. These are followed by erect, bean-like seed pods, filled with tufts, of silky fibres, to which the seeds are attached. A cheery plant for tucking into odd spots here and there, which it should do itself, by seeding. Removal of dead stems is all the maintenance necessary. Broken parts produce a toxic, milky sap, hence the common name of milkweed. Don't let this prevent you from growing such rewarding, easy care plants. In the nursery we value our Asclepias as they play host to Yellow Aphids and their complimentary predators, Lacewings, Aphidius wasps and several species of Ladybird. They are also the larval food plant of the Monarch, and Lesser wanderer butterflies. We sell the plants with caterpillars, aphids and predators in attendance. Excess aphids are easily smooshed with fingers or all can be nuked with a shot of pyrethrum to the detriment of both your garden and karma.

    By: Zephs

    Often short-lived perennial subshrub to 3' with an equal spread covered in summer and fall with clusters of unusual red and yellow blooms. Tender below 25F.

    By: Native Sons

    Vibrant yellow, orange, and red flowers are borne from Spring to frost on an upright to spreading perennial. Raise Monarch Butterflies in your own backyard! The Monarchs migrate through our area just as the Asclepias begin to awaken in spring, just in time for the females to lay their eggs on the new growth. A Dawn Stover Nifty Fifty favorite herbaceous plant! Dawn is a Research Associate at Stephen F Austin in Nacogdoches, TX and currently maintains the Mast Arboretum plant collection. For more about Dawn, the wonderful arboretum, and Stephen F Austin's excellent horticultural program click here.

    By: Almost Eden

    Another common name of this plant could easily be “Butterfly Magnet” - grow it & they will come! A MUST for any habitat garden, it’s colorful, beautiful, & easy, a source of nectar for many butterflies & other beneficial insects, & also a critical larval food source for our beloved Monarchs. Growing from 3-4’ tall & wide, A. curassavica is imbued with noxious poisons in all parts of the plant. Monarch larvae ingest these poisons & store them within their bodies, so that as butterflies are unpalatable to birds & other predators. Evergreen in mild climates, & becoming shrub-like if not cut down by cold, this Asclepias easily reseeds & blooms throughout the year with red, orange, & yellow blooms in clusters. These are especially cheerful in the winter, & often this plant will be flowering even when nothing else is! Aphids are easily attracted to this plant, but don’t seem to harm its health, & can be blasted off with water. Poor soil is OK.

    By: Annie's Annuals & Perennials

    Gardening facts about Asclepias curassavica plant

    How to Grow Asclepias curassavica

    • Sun Exposure

      • sun - mostly sun

    • Water Needs

      • regular - drought tolerant

    • Soil Needs

      • adaptable
      • average
      • lean
      • well-drained
      • rich

    • Special Situation

      • heat tolerant
      • humidity tolerant

    Features

    • Foliage Color

      • green
      • blue

    • Flower Color

      • red
      • orange
      • yellow

    • Wildlife

      • bees
      • butterflies
      • deer resistant
      • rabbit resistant

    • Flower Season

      • spring
      • summer
      • fall
      • winter

    • Foliage Season

      • semi-evergreen

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