Calotropis procera - Purple Crown Flower

Purple Crown Flower is the largest milkweed on the planet.  Essential for butterfly gardens, it's a shrubby tree from tropical Asia with lilac blooms and silver leaves. The blossoms are used to make leis in Hawaii. It's the host plant for Monarch butterflies.

Calotropis blooms year round, lovely clusters of silvery lilac buds. When mature, each tree will support hundreds of monarch larvae. At home in zones 9-11, it will tolerate a brief frost, but prefers a warm, humid climate. It does fine in a container, can be overwintered indoors, and makes a spectacular greenhouse centerpiece.

Soak seeds for 24 hours in warm water.  Surface sow and barely cover seeds.  Place plastic wrap and rubber band over your pot and place in a warm, sunny location.  Keep soil moist, but not soaking wet.  Remove plastic wrap when you have seedlings.

10 fresh seeds.