Visit us:
19250 S Ellsworth Rd
Queen Creek, AZ 85142

Instagram Facebook Pinterest
Desert Horizon Nursery logo
Tropical milkweed with red-orange and yellow flower clusters on upright stems with narrow leaves

Tropical Milkweed

Asclepias curassavica
Categories:
Perennials  ·  
Perennials
Light
Full sun
Water
Moderate water; irrigate deeply when the top 1–2 inches of soil dry. Containers and plants in full summer sun need more frequent watering.
Size
2-4 ft tall × 1-2 ft wide
Habit
Perennial clump
Toxicity
Toxic — Pets Humans & Livestock
Description
A fast-growing, nonnative milkweed with slender stems, narrow leaves, and vivid red-and-orange flowers with yellow crowns; attracts butterflies and supports monarch caterpillars.
Bloom Time
Spring through fall; nearly year-round in warm winters
Deciduous / Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Special Features
Attracts Bees / Pollinators, Attracts Butterflies
Growth Rate
Fast
Growth Habit
Perennial clump
Mature Size
2-4 ft tall × 1-2 ft wide
Flower Color
Orange and yellow
Foliage Color
Medium green
Landscape Use
Border / Bed, Container / Patio, Pollinator / Wildlife Garden
Garden Style
Container / Patio, Pollinator / Wildlife
Soil
Alkaline Tolerant, Sandy / Rocky, Well-Drained
Companion Plants
Autumn sage, Blackfoot daisy, Desert marigold, Gregg's mistflower
Toxic — Pets Humans & Livestock
Toxic to pets, livestock & humans if ingested; milky sap is an irritant
Care Instructions

Light: Full sun to partial shade; afternoon shade helps protect plants from Phoenix’s intense summer heat.

Water: Moderate water; irrigate deeply when the top 1–2 inches of soil dry. Containers and plants in full summer sun need more frequent watering.

Soil: Well-drained sandy or loamy soil; tolerates alkaline soil but dislikes prolonged saturation.

Mature size: 2–4 feet tall and 1–3 feet wide.

Bloom: Spring through fall, potentially continuing into mild winters; flowering may slow during extreme summer heat.

Evergreen / deciduous: Evergreen in frost-free conditions; frost-tender perennial that may lose leaves or die back during Phoenix cold snaps.

Growth rate: Fast.