Jatropha integerrima “peregrina or spicy jatropha”

Description

Jatropha integerrima

Jatropha integerrima (Peregrina, Spicy Jatropha) is an evergreen shrub or small tree with glossy leaves and clusters of star shaped bright scarlet or vermilion flowers.

The plant has a rounded or narrow domed form and gets up to 15 ft (4.6 m) tall with a spread of 10 ft (3.1 m) or so, although in cultivation it is usually smaller. Peregrina often grows shrublike with several slender trunks, but it can be pruned to a single trunk.

The leaves are extremely variable; they may be entire and elliptic or oval, or they may be fiddle shaped, or they may have three sharp pointed lobes. They are bronze when young and brownish on the undersides. The flowers are about 1 in (2.5 cm) across and borne in multi-flowered terminal clusters almost all year round. Compacta is a smaller, more compact cultivar.

Max Height: 4-6m

Spread: 1.5-3m

Common Name: Peregrina, Spicy Jatropha

Flower Colour: Red

Drought Tolerance: Medium

Sun Tolerance: High

Wind Tolerance: High

Water Requirement: Low

Pest Tolerance: Low

Disease Tolerance: Medium

Growth Rate: Fast