Blood flower, Mexican Butterfly weed, Asclepias Curassavica

Blood Flower is a very pretty flower and makes a nice cut flower (beware of the sap!). Teh tropical milkweed is a hardy species, liked by the native bees.

Traditionally this plant was used for warts, skin ulcers and to heal cuts. It was also used internally for various ailments.

The root contains a glycoside, asclepiadin, which is emetic and purgative – in large doses it can cause death. The plant is suspected to be poisonous to grazing animals.

Grown as a perennial in warmer climates, annual in colder climates.

Other names: tropical milkweed, bloodflower, blood flower, cotton bush, hierba de la cucaracha, Mexican butterfly weed, redhead, scarlet milkweed, or wild ipecacuanha, cancerillo, scarlet milkweed, silkweed, butterfly weed, oficial de sala, cotton bush, bloodflower, algodon de seda, brujidera, herbe Madame Bouvin, Indian root, ipeca d’ Haiti, ipecacuanha, kakanasa, malcasadak, marjan, mata cavaille, pleurisy root, qan chichegi, sunset flower, to-wata, viborrana, zahrat ad damm, bunga mas