| Life form | Shrub, succulent |
| Family | Euphorbiaceae |
| Origin | The Caribbean Islands, Central America. At home, it is usually grown in jatropha gouty. |
| Ease of cultivation | Easy with small difficulties |
| The size | Can reach heights up to 1 m |
| Growth rate | It grows rapidly: by 15-30 cm per year. |
| Lifespan | Perennial plant, more than 15 years. |
| Temperature | In the summer: room temperature, in winter a rest period and a temperature of about + 55,4-59 ° F are needed. |
| Humidity | It is desirable to have a high humidity of at least 60%, daily spraying with soft water at room temperature is required. |
| Lighting | A bright diffused light is required. You need a slight shading from direct sunlight. The penumbra is suitable. |
| The soil | Requires a rich light humus soil with the addition of peat and sand. For soil preparation: 1 part of coarse sand or perlite, 1 part peat or humus, 1 part of the leaf earth, you can add up to a quarter of the small gravel. Good drainage is required, for example, the bottom layer is made of bricks, the top layer is made of sand. |
| Watering | In the summer, the land should be constantly moderately moist for 7-10 days. The plant should never stand in the water. During autumn, it should be watered once a month and during the winter it should not be watered at all. |
| Fertilizer | During the growth, fertilizer is added to the diluted cactus once a month. |
| Reproduction | The apical cuttings at a soil temperature of 77 ° F. Cuttings of various dimensions (from 2.5 to 15 cm in diameter and not more than 6 cm in length) take root fairly quickly in a mixture of peat and sand. Hormones should not be used. they inhibit the development of root systems. After 3-4 weeks the stem grows to a value of 20-30 cm and has 8-12 leaves. (Rooting in maximally deep, narrow pots will give the opportunity to develop cuttings deep penetrating the main root, which will ensure in the future better drought resistance of the plant). The plant can flower in 3-6 months.Can be propagated by seeds. Too dry seeds should be pre-soaked. Seeds are planted in separate pots to a depth of 2-3 cm, germinate in the shade at a temperature not lower than 75,2 ° F, periodically watering and not allowing the substrate to dry out. Usually the seeds germinate within 12-18 days. After the shoot, the pots are transferred to a bright place. After a month and a half, seedlings with a size of 20-30 cm with a number of leaves of 8-12 are usually formed. After the seedlings grow up, they are transplanted into larger pots. Under optimal conditions, the plant will blossom in a year and a half. |
| Bloom | Red flowers, 3 in the inflorescence. In the indoor conditions it blooms in early spring and summer. |
| Transfer | In April, 1 time in 2 years. Requires a deep potty pot. |
| Features of care | In winter, a significant portion of the leaves of jatropha fall off, it needs a period of rest and cool content. In spring, pruning is desirable, it is required to remove dying shoots and discolored leaves. |
| Difficulties | It is affected by spider mite, scab, aphids, scorpions, whitefly. The wilting of leaves and the death of plants are observed with excessive watering. The leaves of the plant grow smaller and paler, and sometimes fall, shoots stretch out when there is a lack of light. Young leaves are too small for lack of nutrients. The lower leaves turn yellow and fall off as a result of the process of natural aging. |
| Air cleaning | – |
| Toxicity | Milky juice of the plant is poisonous! It can cause skin dermatitis after contact. Also, plant seeds are dangerous, which should not be ingested. |
