Calotropis procera

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. It typically grows to a height of 6 feet (1.8 m) to 8 feet (2.4 m) (rarely to as much as 15 feet (4.6 m)) in sunny and partly shaded habitats, including overgrazed pastures, rangeland, roadsides, river flats and coastal dunes. Its green fruits contain a toxic milky sap that is extremely bitter and turns into a gluey coating which is resistant to soap.

Common names for the plant include Apple of Sodom, Sodom apple, roostertree, king's crown, small crownflower, giant milkweed, rubber bush, and rubber tree. The names "Apple of Sodom" and "Dead Sea Apple" stem from the ancient authors Josephus and Tacitus, who described the plant growing in the area of biblical Sodom. Although not native to the areas, the plant feeds monarch butterfly caterpillars in California, Hawaii and the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico.