Jatropha gossypiifoliaBellyache Bush

Purple-bronze new growth is the whole appeal of Jatropha gossypiifolia. Three-lobed leaves emerge deep wine-red on sticky glandular stalks and mature to green, while small red flower clusters appear at the shoot tips through the warm months.

This is a species to specify with care rather than enthusiasm. Every part is toxic and the seeds severely so, and it is a declared weed of national significance in Australia and a listed invader through parts of Africa, Asia and the Caribbean.

Specifications

• Height1 to 3 metres
• Width1 to 2 metres
• Native toTropical America, from Mexico and the Caribbean through northern South America
• FoliageThree to five lobed leaves, deep purple-red when young and maturing to green, on sticky glandular stalks; semi-deciduous in dry conditions
• Growth rateFast

Conditions

• SoilGrows on poor, sandy, free-draining soils and tolerates rocky ground
• LightFull sun
• WaterLow; drought-tolerant once established
• ClimateThrives in tropical, subtropical and hot semi-arid regions

Additional Features

• FlowersSmall red flower clusters carried at the shoot tips through the warm season
• UsesFoliage colour in dry ornamental beds and enclosed collections where spread and access are controlled
• SpacingPlant 1 to 1.5 metres apart
• Low MaintenanceRequires little beyond removal of seed capsules to limit self-seeding
• Pest ResistanceGenerally untroubled
• Drought ToleranceHolds condition through extended dry periods without irrigation
• ToxicityAll parts are toxic and the seeds are severely so, so the plant must be kept away from children, livestock and public access

Bellyache Bush is a striking foliage shrub carrying a weed and toxicity record that has to be checked against the jurisdiction before it is offered.