# Giant Milkweed (Calotropis procera)

> A large shrub or small tree from Africa and Asia, naturalised in the warmest parts of the United States. Its huge blue-gray leaves and waxy purple-tipped white flowers make it a striking plant, and monarchs and queens use it as a host, but it is invasive on disturbed dry ground.

Source: https://milkweedusa.com/species/giant-milkweed/  
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Milkweed USA)

## Summary

A large shrub or small tree from Africa and Asia, naturalised in the warmest parts of the United States. Its huge blue-gray leaves and waxy purple-tipped white flowers make it a striking plant, and monarchs and queens use it as a host, but it is invasive on disturbed dry ground.

## Key facts

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Scientific name | Calotropis procera (Aiton) W.T. Aiton |
| Genus | Calotropis |
| Family | Apocynaceae |
| Common names | Giant Milkweed, Rooster Tree, Sodom Apple, Calotrope |
| Status | Not native to the United States |
| Height | 6 ft–12 ft |
| Spread | 4 ft–8 ft |
| Flower color | white, purple |
| Bloom period | nearly year-round in frost-free areas |
| Light | Full sun |
| Soil moisture | Dry |
| USDA zones | 9-11 |
| Leaf arrangement | opposite |
| Leaf shape | ovate |
| Sap | Milky latex |
| Root system | Deep taproot, resents transplanting |
| Seed stratification | None required |
| Monarch value (0-5) | 3 |
| Garden value (0-5) | 2 |
| Nectar value (0-5) | 3 |
| US states recorded | Arizona, California, Florida, Hawaii, Texas |

## Identification

- Shrub or small tree to twelve feet, far larger than any native milkweed.
- Very large, thick, blue-gray leaves clasping stout woody stems.
- Waxy white flowers with five purple-tipped lobes, in dense clusters.
- Sap is copious, thick and strongly irritant.

## Ecology

Used by monarch and queen larvae in Florida, Hawaii and south Texas. It colonizes overgrazed and disturbed dry ground aggressively and is treated as invasive in parts of its introduced range.

## Growing

Not recommended for planting in the United States. Where it is already present, monarchs will use it, but it displaces native vegetation and its sap is a serious hazard.

## Cautions

Non-native and invasive on dry disturbed ground. The latex is a severe skin and eye irritant, considerably more so than native milkweeds, and the whole plant is toxic. Wear eye protection if cutting it.

## Questions

**Can monarchs eat giant milkweed?**

Yes, monarch and queen larvae develop on Calotropis procera, and it is a common host in Florida, Hawaii and south Texas. It is not native to the United States, is invasive on disturbed dry land, and its sap is a much stronger irritant than any native milkweed.

## References

- Plants of the World Online: https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:1004515-2
- GBIF: https://www.gbif.org/species/5414566
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/120917
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calotropis_procera
- NatureServe: https://explorer.natureserve.org/Search?searchTerm=Calotropis%20procera

## Photographs

- Calotropis procera flower (Habibtadese, CC BY-SA 4.0): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Calotropis_procera_flower.jpg
- Calotropis procera plant (Knowledge and philosophy, CC BY-SA 4.0): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Calotropis_procera_plant.jpg
- Flower of Giant Milkweed (Calotropis procera) from Rajasthan, India (Kingshuk Mondal, CC BY 4.0): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flower_of_Giant_Milkweed_(Calotropis_procera)_from_Rajasthan,_India.jpg
- Giant Milkweed photographed in Rishon LeTsiyon, Israel (hadanie7, CC BY 4.0): https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/140245140
- Giant Milkweed photographed in Zacapa Department, Guatemala (Juanito Escamilla, CC BY 4.0): https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/85260038
- Giant Milkweed photographed in Teculután, Guatemala (Saban-Sequén, E.A., CC BY 4.0): https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/78107575
- Giant Milkweed photographed in Nazwah, Dubai, Dubai, AE (pavlaki1968, CC BY 4.0): https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/108798077
- Giant Milkweed photographed in Kondapalli, Andhra Pradesh 521228, India (Raja bandi, CC BY 4.0): https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/72226559

## How to cite

Milkweed USA. (2026). Giant Milkweed (Calotropis procera). https://milkweedusa.com/species/giant-milkweed/