Asclepias curassavica Seeds | Bloodflower
LATIN NAME: Asclepias curassavica
COMMON NAME: Bloodflower, Tropical Milkweed
Plant Profile
Known to gardeners as Bloodflower, Asclepias curassavica is a noteworthy species. The flowering period doubles as a feeding season for bees and other pollinators. For the gardener, the sum of these traits is a plant that is easy to live with.
Science & Biotechnology
Like other members of the Asclepias group, Asclepias curassavica draws steady attention from botanists and plant breeders, who value the genus both as a subject of research and as a source of garden-worthy material. This ongoing research has led conservation organisations to recommend cutting tropical milkweed back hard in autumn in regions where it does not naturally die back, a nuance that has meaningfully shaped current best-practice guidance for monarch gardening. In the laboratory and trial ground alike, it serves as workable material for propagation research and line selection.
Uses & Benefits
Gardeners value Bloodflower for its ornamental character, and the plant also fits naturally into herb, vegetable and cutting gardens. Its bright orange-red flowers also provide strong nectar value for a wide range of other pollinators throughout growing season. In later seasons it demands little more than an appreciative eye.
Milkweeds are indispensable wildlife plants, the sole food of monarch butterfly caterpillars, and several species have folk-medicine records among Native American peoples. Their cardiac glycosides make them unsafe for self-medication, but in the garden they are pollinator gold.
Growing from Seed
Bloodflower is one of those generous plants that come along well from seed. Sow seed into a loose, well-drained mix and keep it warm and consistently moist, since this tropical species does best with steady warmth. Bright light suits young seedling well, and gardeners in mild-winter climates should plan to cut mature plant back hard each autumn, following current monarch conservation guidance rather than leaving it to grow year-round. Fill a pot with a light seed compost, sow evenly on the surface, cover thinly and stand it somewhere warm, bright and evenly moist. Pot the young plants on as they grow, harden them off gradually, and plant them into their final positions when sturdy.
Our Take
Bloodflower, Tropical Milkweed earns its space through character rather than fuss. Sun and good drainage cover most of its demands.
Related Reading
Gardeners who grow Bloodflower often pair it with these related subjects: