Jatropha
Location
Butterfly Garden
- Common Name: Jatropha (other common names: Peregrina, Spicy Jatropha, or Firecracker)
- Scientific Name: Jatropha integerrima
- Family Name: Euphorbiaceae
- Origin: West Indies and Cuba
- Height: 8’ – 10’ (up to 15’)
- Width: 8’ – 10’ (up to 15’)
- Growth: moderate to fast
- Zone: 9B – 11 but best in 10 – 11 (frost and freezes will damage them, but they usually recover quickly.)
- Light Needs: Partial Shade – Full Sun (flower best in full sun)
- Salt Tolerance: none
- Soil/PH/Texture: soils can vary – clay, loam, and sand, acidic – alkaline. Not particular on soil pH.
- Soil Moisture: average water needs, well drained, but once established it is fairly drought tolerant.
- Drought Tolerance: moderate
- Pests/Diseases: No pests or diseases are of major concern but occasionally bothered by mites, scales, and superficial leaf miner.
- Growing Conditions: low maintenance
- Characteristics: this tropical evergreen has slender stems and multiple trunks, individual flowers on this species are star-shaped and generally red, although a pink-flowered variety exists. Flowers are 1-inch wide and are produced year-round in beautiful clusters that are held upright above the lobed leaves.
- Propagation: by seed (scarify) and from woody stem cuttings.
- Wildlife: attracts bees, hummingbirds and butterflies, some of these butterflies that love the Jatropha are monarchs, swallowtails, and zebra longwings.
- Facts: all parts of Jatropha are poisonous when ingested, so take care if you have children or pets around them and the milky sap can irritate sensitive skin.
- Designer Considerations: used as a bush, specimen, accent or even makes a great container plant for your patio. It is also used in xeriscaping.