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Asclepias curassavica L.
Scarlet milkweed, Bloodflower

Asclepias curassavica
Copyright by: Kristen Finch
in cultivation, Palm Beach County, Florida

Family: Apocynaceae

Group: Dicot

Substrate: Terrestrial

Habit: Herb

Perennation: Perennial

Native Range: The West Indies, Mexico, Central America and South America; naturalized in Bermuda, the southern United States and the Old World.

Map of Florida Locations

FLEPPC Status: Category II Invasive

SOUTH FLORIDA Occurrence: Present

SOUTH FLORIDA Native Status: Not Native, Naturalized

South Florida History and Distribution: Previously identified as an emerging invasive in South Florida by IRC, this was added to the FISC list as an invasive species in 2025.

SOUTH FLORIDA Cultivated Status: Cultivated

Comments: For more images, click on the Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants link below.

Other data on Asclepias curassavica available from :

Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants
Asclepias curassavica has been found in the following 52 conservation areas :
Occurrence Native Status
A.D. Doug Barnes Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Alice C. Wainwright Park Possibly Extirpated Not Native, Naturalized
Arch Creek Addition Present Not Native, Naturalized
Arch Creek Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Babcock Ranch Preserve Present Not Native, Naturalized
Big and Little George Hammocks Present Not Native, Naturalized
Big Cypress National Preserve Present Not Native, Naturalized
Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Bill Sadowski Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Caloosahatchee Creeks Preserve Present Not Native, Naturalized
Camp Owaissa Bauer Present Not Native, Naturalized
Camp Owaissa Bauer Addition Present Not Native, Naturalized
Castellow Hammock Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Cedar Point Environmental Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Chateau Royal Present Not Native, Naturalized
Coconut Creek Maple Swamp Natural Area Present Not Native, Naturalized
Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed (CREW) Present Not Native, Naturalized
Deering Estate at Cutler Present Not Native, Naturalized
Doris Davis Forman Wilderness Preserve Natural Area Present Not Native, Naturalized
Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park Possibly Extirpated Not Native, Naturalized
Dupuis Reserve Present Not Native, Naturalized
Everglades National Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Fern Forest Nature Center Present Not Native, Naturalized
Fisheating Creek Wildlife Management Area Present Not Native, Naturalized
Frog Pond/L-31 N Transition Lands Present Not Native, Naturalized
Greynolds Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Hattie Bauer Hammock Present Not Native, Naturalized
Hillsboro Pineland Natural Area Present Not Native, Naturalized
Hugh Taylor Birch State Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Ingram Pineland Present Not Native, Naturalized
J.W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area Present Not Native, Naturalized
Jonathan Dickinson State Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area Present Not Native, Naturalized
Long Key Natural Area & Nature Center Present Not Native, Naturalized
Loveland Hammock Present Not Native, Naturalized
Matheson Hammock Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
National Key Deer Refuge Present Not Native, Naturalized
Nicodemus Slough Present Not Native, Naturalized
Nixon Smiley Pineland Addition Present Not Native, Naturalized
Oleta River State Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Pine Island Ridge Natural Area Present Not Native, Naturalized
Pine Ridge Sanctuary Present Not Native, Naturalized
Pond Apple Slough Natural Area Present Not Native, Naturalized
Porter-Russell Pineland Present Not Native, Naturalized
R. Hardy Matheson Preserve Present Not Native, Naturalized
Railhead Scrub Preserve Present Not Native, Naturalized
Red Reef Park, including Gumbo Limbo Nature Center Present Not Native, Naturalized
Rock Pit 39 Present Not Native, Naturalized
SOCSOUTH Present Not Native, Naturalized
Tree Island Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Tree Tops Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Woodmont Natural Area Present Not Native, Naturalized

Asclepias curassavica has been found in the following 7 counties :
Occurrence Native Status
Broward County Not Native, Naturalized
Hendry County Not Native, Naturalized
Lee County Not Native, Naturalized
Martin County Not Native, Naturalized
Miami-Dade County Not Native, Naturalized
Monroe County (Keys) Not Native, Naturalized
Palm Beach County Not Native, Naturalized

Asclepias curassavica has been found in the following 3 habitats :
Coastal Strand
Disturbed Upland
Rockland Hammock

All Images:

Asclepias curassavica
Copyright by: Kristen Finch
in cultivation, Palm Beach County, Florida
Asclepias curassavica
Copyright by: Kristen Finch
in cultivation, Palm Beach County, Florida
Asclepias curassavica
Copyright by: Keith A. Bradley
Asclepias curassavica
Copyright by: Rosimar Rivera
Asclepias curassavica
Copyright by: Roger L. Hammer