Tropical Milkweed is native to Central America, South America, and the Caribbean, but has naturalized worldwide in many tropical and subtropical areas​. It is often recognized for its eye-catching clusters of orange-red flowers adorned with yellow hoods, serving as a significant nectar source for butterflies, hummingbirds, bees, and other beneficial insects​​. The plant has a historical and modern medicinal applications. Traditional uses include the treatment of skin ulcers, warts, corns, ringworm, sores, rashes, and dermatitis, with preparations made from crushed leaves and the plant's abundant white latex​. The roots are known as pleurisy root and used for lung problems such as pleurisy and pneumonia​. Its invasive nature has been noted across many tropical and subtropical regions. In Britain it's grown as an annual for bedding and container displays. Photographed in the central and eastern Andes mountain range of Colombia.