PlantFiles: Peregrina, Spicy Jatropha
Jatropha integerrima

I would like info about its origin etc...is it from Africa? It''s
oil is being used as a biofuel...a farmer in Florida talked
about it this morning on TV...any other uses? medicinal? Folk lore etc? Is it easy to grow? Sounds like it.
from Kaliz9

These are wonderful plants. Continuous color and does better when you trim it back. I have 4 in my yard but only one is a bush the other 3 have been trained into trees. Do keep in mind that these plants are posionous.

I first had a jatropha when I lived in Miami, and I fell in love with it. Here in Mobile (AL) it grows very well from March to December. Then it dies back during our short, pitiful excuse for winter (about 7 weeks) and then comes back from the root. I have 5 planted in the ground and they are beautiful.

I purchased my first plant, the compact variety, last year from Almost Eden Plants. It arrived in a small pot and was just a little over five inches tall. By the end of summer it was over three feet tall and loaded with flowers. It is a magnet for butterflies and hummingbirds. I kept it as a pot specimen and overwintered it in my garage. The leaves fell off since my garage is not heated. I cut it back in February. It has new shoots and looks great. This spring I bought another compact hybrid from Almost Eden and two from Pike's Nursery. Not sure if they are compact or standard. This is a beautiful specimen that will give you nonstop flowers.

I found this plant at a local garden center. The last one left, and I noticed mealy bugs on it. But I couldn't resist its beauty. Brought it home, get rid of the mealy bugs with rubbing alcohol swap. It blooms, and yields lovely seedpods. Will update my finding with its progress as I observe it in our region. Overwinter indoor.

June 21st 2008 Update: Did well indoor, promptly resumed its exuberant growth once back outdoor. Blooming continually. It's a keeper!

In full sun the leaves maintain a lush green color and the plant blooms constantly all year in Orlando, Fl. I bought 2 potted plants and was able to separate into 4 plants which quickly grew to about 6' high and have stayed at that height for more than a year. Bugs devoured some nearby Butterfly Weed but never disturbed the Jatropha. Highly drought tolerant. Regularly available at Lowes.

With it's deep green foliage and brillant red flowers this bush is a very colorful addition to my yard. It's butterfly attracting deep red flowers bloom all year giving my flying garden friends the nectar they need in the wintertime. If it's not pruned on a regular basis it will grow out of control. As a large bush it becomes top heavy with growth and flowers and barren of them at the bottom (very leggy looking.) I keep my three bushes about five to six feet tall. I did notice when I prune, shoots appear from the roots about a foot away from the main trunk. The flowers attract a variety of butterflies. They are easy to start from cuttings.

We bought and planted our Spicy Jatropha last Spring and it took off! The flowers are a really pretty color and they bloom for a long period of time. It helped to attract many hummingbirds and butterflies to the yard!

I live in Texas and I bought this plant at the beggining of the spring. I have it in a pot outside on the patio and it has grown very fast and has very pretty dark red blooms that the hummingbirds are very attracted to. I want to plant it in the yard but I do not want it to die back in the winter so I am going to have to keep it in the pot and bring it inside. This plant/shrub is very pretty. I have enjoyed it very much. It demands little care.

I couldn't say enough positive things about this plant. It grows quickly, looks beautiful , and is so low maintenence. The only reason I ever need to prune it is because I stupidly placed the stepping stones too close to it, not realizing how large it would grow. In the winter it looks a bit sad after such a happy cherrful appearance in spring, summer and fall, but you can't blame it for that. Close up those blooms are just magnificent. And from far off, the entire plant is just a show-stopper. If you need a bush to add color and little work, this is your plant. I just noticed there weren't any photos of the entire plant here so I'm going to add one. Ours is 2 meters tall and 3 meters wide now (13 months ago when we planted it, it ws only a single 60cm tall center branch with a few measly leaves sticking off of it!). Ya gotta love it!

We live in San Antonio, Texas and our Jatropha died completely back this last winter (it was 25 degrees). But, it grew back from the ground and it's up and running again and growing fast. It has dark red flowers with dark green foliage. Very tropical looking.

Wonderful colorful shrub that is native to the West Indies.
The shrub is grown mainly for its spectacular year-round flower display.

Nice plant. Makes a wonderful small, or patio, tree. Here in zone 10a, it blooms almost all year.