How to Grow Crown Flowers From Cuttings

Crown flowers (Calotropis gigantea), also known as giant milkweed, grow on tall tropical shrubs. In Florida you can expect your crown flower shrub to reach 6 feet, while in the tropics it can get as tall as 16 feet. No doubt attracted by the nectar-rich, purple-tipped white flowers, monarch butterflies flock to the crown flower shrub. Not at all frost hardy, crown flowers grow in zones 10b through 11 on the U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zone map. Patience is required when rooting crown flower cuttings as they can be a challenge.

Things You'll Need

• Nursery flat
• Vermiculite
• Sand
• Pruning shears
• Rooting hormone
• Wax paper or paper towel
• Spray bottle
• Plastic bag

Instructions

1. Fill a nursery flat with equal parts of vermiculite and sand. Run water over it until it is uniformly moist. Poke planting holes, 6 inches apart, in the medium and set the flat aside to drain while you take the cuttings.

2. Use sharp pruning shears to cut 10-inch long stems from the crown flower bush. Cut the stem at a 45-degree angle, 1/2 inch above a leaf. Keep the cuttings moist and out of direct sun until you plant them.

3. Pour a dime-sized pile of rooting hormone onto a piece of waxed paper or a paper towel. Dip the bottom 1 inch of the cuttings into a cup of water and then roll the wet part in the rooting hormone. Immediately stick the cuttings into the prepared holes in the nursery flat until the stem is buried to within 1/2 inch of the bottom leaves.

4. Spray each cutting with water from the misting bottle. Insert the flat into the plastic bag, seal it, and place it in an area that receives bright but indirect sunlight. Remove the flat from the bag when the crown flower cuttings sprout new growth, but keep them in indirect sunlight until they are transplanted into individual pots or the garden.

Tips & Warnings

• Crown flowers ooze a latex sap that can irritate skin on sensitive individuals. Wear hand protection when you work with the crown flower.

References

• University of Florida IFAS Extension; Calotropis Gigantea; Stephen H. Brown; September 2010
• HonoluluAdvertiser.com; Plant Crown Flower for Lasting Lei, Butterflies; Heidi Bornhorst; January 2006
• "Secrets of Plant Propagation"; Lewis Hill; 1985

Resources

• The United States National Arboretum: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map