General Landscape Uses: Hedge and border, pollinator garden, container garden, drought resistant landscapes, tropical and subtropical gardens

Ecological Restoration Notes: Pollinator enhancement, erosion control, drought resistant reforestation

Description: Jatropha is a beautiful blooming shrub or tree that attracts both butterflies and hummingbirds with its flowers. It displays red flowers year round and is very drought resistant. It is an evergreen with glossy leaves. Jatropha can be used as a hedge or as a dwarf tree.

Dimensions: Height 8 ft.; Spread 3 – 5 ft.

Growth Rate: Moderate to fast

Native Range: Cuba, West Indies

Native Habitats: Tropical and subtropical dry forests, rocky and sandy coastal scrublands, open woodlands, dry savannas and lowland plains

Soils: Well-drained, sandy or loamy

Nutritional Requirements: Moderate

Salt Water Tolerance: Moderate

Salt Wind Tolerance: Moderate

Drought Tolerance: High

Light Requirements: Full Sun

Flower Color: Red

Flower Characteristics: Star-shaped, clustered

Flowering Season: All year

Fruit: Small, capsule-like seed pods

Wildlife and Ecology: Attracts pollinators and is deer-resistant due to its toxic sap

Horticultural Notes: Grown from cuttings, seed

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