Hawaiian Crown Flowers (Calotropis gigantea) came from India originally, and became popular here because they were favored by Queen Liliuokalani, the last ruler of the Hawaiian monarchy. The purple flower was the one first introduced here, back in the 1880s, with this white variety arriving some 30 years later.
The plant gets its name from the shape of the flowers, which are used in making leis. As members of the milkweed family, they also host Hawaii’s Monarch Butterflies. The plant has a milky sap that is toxic, but that Monarchs, and their caterpillars, are immune to. The caterpillars are voracious eaters, decimating the Crown Flower leaves, but the plant will bounce back after the caterpillars pupate. The plant is drought tolerant and does well on the dry side of the island here.
Graham's Island 
Such a change between the first and last photos. Is the last one when it disperses its seed?
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Yes, the last photo is the seeds, which were just drifting away.
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What unusual and lovely flowers Graham. I am glad they serve a purpose for nature
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Very popular with the monarchs and very important in Hawaiian culture.
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The caterpillar is as gorgeous as the flowers.
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Alas, no caterpillar in the photos, but I think you might be referring to the last photo. Those are seeds after the flowers, but that group does look rather like a caterpillar!
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Ha. I thought it was a caterpillar disguised as a seed cluster. Turns out it was a seed cluster disguised as a caterpillar. Beautiful as both alternatives.
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Works either way!
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The white variety looks glorious. My daughter is off caterpillars at the moment. She has Box weed ones eating her favourite bushes xx
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Caterpillars tend to be a bit destructive, but usually the bushes bounce back.
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Gorgeous
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They are that!
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