giant milkweed
Calotropis procera
Despite its extreme toxicity, its silky seed fibers are harvested to stuff pillows, and its wood is highly resistant to termites.
- Scientific name
- Calotropis procera
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Gentianales › Apocynaceae › Calotropis
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- increasing
- Biome
- desert
- Habitat
- Arid shrublands, desert margins, sandy coastal dunes, and disturbed roadsides.
- Diet
- Autotrophic (photosynthetic, utilizing deep taproots to access deep groundwater).
- Range
- North Africa, Middle East, Indian Subcontinent, Introduced in Australia, Introduced in South America
- Size
- Up to 4 meters (13 feet) tall
- Lifespan
- 10-20 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Highly resilient with few natural threats; occasionally cleared as an invasive agricultural weed.
- Safe to approach?
- Toxic and defensive. Do not break the leaves or stems; the plant secretes a highly toxic milky latex that causes severe skin irritation and can lead to blindness if rubbed into the eyes. Keep pets and children away. If contact occurs, wash the affected area immediately with soap and water, and seek medical help if sap enters the eyes or is ingested.
Calotropis procera is a species of flowering plant in the family Apocynaceae that is native to North Africa, Tropical Africa, Western Asia, South Asia, and Indochina. The green globes are hollow but the flesh contains a toxic milky sap that is extremely bitter and turns into a gluey coating resistant to soap.
Photo: Kristof Zyskowski, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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