Jatropha integerrimaPeregrina

Scarlet star-shaped flowers appear in loose clusters above the glossy foliage of Jatropha integerrima for most of the year in warm climates, on a plant that can be held as a rounded shrub of two metres or trained into a small standard tree of four.

It is a Caribbean species that has become a fixture of Gulf and Southeast Asian landscape work because it flowers continuously in heat with only modest irrigation. The milky sap is toxic, which needs to be weighed where planting borders play areas.

Specifications

• Height3 to 4.5 metres as a small tree, or maintained at 1.5 to 2 metres as a shrub
• Width2 to 3 metres
• Native toCuba and the West Indies
• FoliageVariable glossy dark green leaves, ovate to fiddle-shaped on the same plant; evergreen
• Growth rateModerate

Conditions

• SoilPrefers free-draining sandy or loamy soils; tolerates poor ground
• LightFull sun to partial shade
• WaterLow to moderate; drought-tolerant once established
• ClimateThrives in tropical, subtropical and hot arid regions with irrigation

Additional Features

• FlowersLoose clusters of scarlet star-shaped flowers, near continuous in warm climates
• UsesFeature shrub planting, standard specimens in planters, median and entrance colour
• SpacingPlant 1.5 to 2 metres apart as a mass, or set as individual standards
• Low MaintenanceLight pruning to hold shape; responds well to being trained as a standard
• Pest ResistanceGenerally robust in dry heat
• Drought ToleranceContinues flowering on modest irrigation once established
• Wildlife AttractionFlowers draw butterflies and nectar-feeding birds throughout the year
• ToxicityAll parts are toxic if ingested and the milky sap irritates skin; site away from play areas

Peregrina delivers year-round scarlet flower in hot climates at a scale that suits both planters and open beds.