Jatropha Species, Firecracker, Peregrina, Spicy Jatropha

On Jul 9, 2014, coriaceous from ROSLINDALE, MA wrote:

A wonderful container plant here, blooming nonstop summer into fall. Winters over easily stored indoors, though it drops its leaves when dormant and sometimes gets scale (easily taken care of). Doesn't mind being cut back hard.

On Jul 7, 2014, ardesia from Jacksonville, FL (Zone 9a) wrote:

During an unusually cold winter this plant will freeze to the ground in my zone (9A) but it promptly returns from the roots as soon as it warms up again.

I have both the pink and the red, the pink does not bloom as heavily as the red does for me although the pink appears to be hardier.

On Sep 2, 2011, saltcedar from Austin, TX (Zone 8b) wrote:

Dead at 16f after a 3-day freeze.

On Jan 30, 2011, sunkissed from Winter Springs, FL (Zone 9b) wrote:

Bought this beautiful plant a local nursery in spring of 2008 and planted it in the ground since it said was freeze hardy to temps to 25 degrees. Grew really fast that first year and had many wonderful bright red flowers. Then it froze to the ground in temperatures in mid twenties in Dec. 2008. It did come back that next spring and grew as big as it was the year before and bloomed very nicely, not as much as the year before but still striking in the garden....then it froze again when temps dipped into the upper twenties in winter of 2009. Once again is came back last spring but this year it grew only half the height of last year and bloomed only a few flowers and of course it froze to the ground again this winter when we had two nights of upper twenties for more than six hours each night. ... read moreI really doubt I'll see this plant come back, the hard cold winters have taken a toll on it. If you get temperatures into the twenties I wouldn't plant this. I've seen huge plants of this in St. Petersburg, FL last summer 2010, so guess if you live south of Central FL they are ok as outdoor plants.

On Jan 25, 2010, gobright from Edcouch, TX wrote:

this tree is wonderful but would like to know how to prune since we had 28 degree weather here in the Rio Grande Valley for over 5 hours 3 nights in a row covered it but have lost all of the leaves How do I prune????

On Jun 26, 2009, akacrystal from San Antonio, TX wrote:

Here in San Antonio, finding a plant that flowers well in part shade is nearly impossible. Camellias yellow, hydrangeas wilt, and I did a lot of crying. This plant is getting about 5 hours of morning/early afternoon sun and is loving it. I know it may die back for the winter but I don't care. (Winter only lasts about 3 months here anyway.) The leaves are a dark green so they mayke a nice backdrop. I also like the way it blends with blue plumbago. Home depot carries them and I saw today the Rainbow Gardens on thousand oaks is carrying them also.

On Aug 11, 2008, kaliz9 from Bozeman, MT wrote:

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

On Jun 19, 2008, rcharding from Valdosta, GA (Zone 8b) wrote:

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.

On Sep 14, 2007, Lily_love from Central, AL (Zone 7b) wrote:

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!

On Feb 28, 2005, artcons from Fort Lauderdale, FL (Zone 10b) wrote:

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.

On Aug 25, 2004, plwiseman from Midway, TX wrote:

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.

On Jun 3, 2003, IlonaGordon from San Antonio, TX wrote:

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.

On Nov 2, 2002, IslandJim from Keizer, OR (Zone 8b) wrote:

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