Crown Flower (Calotropis gigantea)

Calotropis gigantea (Crown flower) is a species of Calotropis, native to Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India and China. It is a large shrub growing to 4 m tall. It has clusters of waxy flowers that are either white or lavender in colour. Each flower consists of five pointed petals and a small, elegant crown rising from the centre, which holds the stamens. The plant has oval, light green leaves and milky stem.