Buddha Belly Plant (Jatropha podagrica)

General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit:	Shrub Cactus/Succulent
Life cycle:	Perennial
Sun Requirements:	Full Sun to Partial Shade
Water Preferences:	Mesic Dry Mesic
Soil pH Preferences:	Moderately acid (5.6 – 6.0) Slightly acid (6.1 – 6.5) Neutral (6.6 – 7.3)
Minimum cold hardiness:	Zone 9a -6.7 °C (20 °F) to -3.9 °C (25 °F)
Plant Height:	Up to 3-6 feet
Plant Spread:	Up to 2-4 feet
Leaves:	Deciduous Broadleaf
Fruit:	Pops open explosively when ripe
Fruiting Time:	Summer Fall Other: Year round in the tropics
Flowers:	Showy
Flower Color:	Orange Red Yellow
Bloom Size:	Under 1"
Flower Time:	Summer Other: Year round in the tropics
Suitable Locations:	Xeriscapic Houseplant
Wildlife Attractant:	Butterflies Hummingbirds
Resistances:	Tolerates dry shade Humidity tolerant Drought tolerant
Toxicity:	Leaves are poisonous Roots are poisonous Fruit is poisonous Other: Sap is poisonous
Propagation: Seeds:	Self fertile Scarify seeds: Will speed up germination. Self seeding if planted in ground. Days to germinate: Few if fresh. Sow in situ Start indoors Can handle transplanting Other info: Self seeding
Pollinators:	Various insects
Containers:	Suitable in 3 gallon or larger Needs excellent drainage in pots
Miscellaneous:	Tolerates poor soil Monoecious
Awards and Recognitions:	RHS AGM
Conservation status:	Least Concern (LC)

Conservation status:

Common names

Buddha Belly Plant
Bottleplant Shrub
Gout stick

Photo Gallery

Uploaded by hawkarica

Uploaded by hlutzow

Uploaded by Floridian

Location: Baja California
Date: 2018-11-01
Color change to yellow indicates ripening

Uploaded by Baja_Costero

Location: Baja California
Date: 2023-10-17
Separate male and female flowers

Uploaded by Baja_Costero

Uploaded by hlutzow

Location: Baja California
Date: 2019-09-09
Female

Uploaded by Baja_Costero

Uploaded by hlutzow

Location: Baja California
Date: 2018-12-26
Partial dehiscence: time to go in an envelope

Uploaded by Baja_Costero

Location: Baja California
Date: 2021-01-29

Uploaded by Baja_Costero

Location: Matthaei Botanical Gardens, Ann Arbor, MI
Date: 2016-03-20

Uploaded by DaylilySLP

Location: Harrogate Autumn Flower show, Yorkshire
Date: 2018-09-15

Uploaded by kniphofia

Location: Mysore, India
Date: 2014-03-08
Unless we tie a cover on the pod the seeds explode - we estimate

Uploaded by Dinu

Location: Baja California
Date: 2023-07-11

Uploaded by Baja_Costero

Location: Ingleside. Illinois
Date: 2023-05-25

Uploaded by antsinmypants

Location: Mysore, India
Date: 2014-09-16
This is a 'reverse lens shot' [Canon] that brought out the tiny p

Uploaded by Dinu

Location: Baja California
Date: 2021-05-28
Male

Uploaded by Baja_Costero

Uploaded by Floridian

Uploaded by Floridian

Location: Mysore, India
Date: July 2010
Such a fine bloom when one looks close.

Uploaded by Dinu

Location: Mysore, India
Date: 2014-09-28
Belly/Bottle stem.

Uploaded by Dinu

Location: Marie Selby Botanical Gardens
Date: April 6 2022

Uploaded by jooshewa

Uploaded by Ursula

Location: San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers

Uploaded by Calif_Sue

Location: Matthaei Botanical Gardens, Ann Arbor, MI
Date: 2011-03-19

Uploaded by DaylilySLP

Uploaded by Floridian

Location: Tampa, FL
Date: 2023-09-19
Emerging flower bract

Uploaded by Floridian

Location: Baja California
Date: 2021-05-18

Uploaded by Baja_Costero

Location: Baja California
Date: 2023-07-26

Uploaded by Baja_Costero

Uploaded by Floridian

Uploaded by Floridian

Location: Tampa, FL
Date: 2023-10-13
Caudex

Uploaded by Floridian

Location: Tampa, FL
Date: 2023-10-13
Grown in full sun.

Uploaded by Floridian

Location: Baja California
Date: 2020-08-31

Uploaded by Baja_Costero

Location: San Antonio Zoo, San Antonio, Texas
Date: 2022-04-06

Uploaded by sedumzz

Location: Tampa, FL
Date: 2024-02-04
Side branching without pruning.

Uploaded by Floridian

Location: Baja California
Date: 2018-01-08

Uploaded by Baja_Costero

Location: Baja California
Date: 2018-12-09
Inner ring measures 5 inches

Uploaded by Baja_Costero

Uploaded by Floridian

Uploaded by Floridian

Location: Baja California
Date: 2020-06-23
First leaves tend to lack lobes

Uploaded by Baja_Costero

Location: Baja California
Date: 2018-02-02
Female blooms

Uploaded by Baja_Costero

Uploaded by Floridian

Location: Tampa, FL
Date: 2015-05-02
At USF Botanical Gardens

Uploaded by mellielong

Location: Texas
Date: 2014-11-11
Jatropha podagrica

Uploaded by Reine

Location: Baja California
Date: 2020-10-24
Senescence

Uploaded by Baja_Costero

Location: Matthaei Botanical Gardens, Ann Arbor, MI
Date: 2009-03-28

Uploaded by DaylilySLP

Uploaded by Floridian

Uploaded by Floridian

Uploaded by Floridian

Uploaded by treehugger

Location: In home
Date: 2011-12-02
gout Plant bloom

Uploaded by Ridesredmule

Location: Baja California
Date: 2017-08-19

Uploaded by Baja_Costero

Uploaded by Ridesredmule

Uploaded by Ridesredmule

Uploaded by Reine

Uploaded by Reine

Location: Southwest Florida
Date: summer 2010
A very young plant; the leaves are not yet divided.

Uploaded by Dutchlady1

Location: pink elypsa-female bloom, blue-male bloom
Date: 2007-04-14
Photo courtesy of: Martin Heigan

Uploaded by admin

Uploaded by Ursula

Location: Matthaei Botanical Gardens, Ann Arbor, MI
Date: 2008-03-07

Uploaded by DaylilySLP

Uploaded by DaylilySLP

Uploaded by Floridian

Location: on my porch, was under oak tree, almost time to bring inside
Date: 2011-10-05
Fall is near, there is a seed pod and the bloom

Uploaded by Ridesredmule

Location: Southwest Florida
Date: September 2012

Uploaded by Dutchlady1

Location: Fountain, Florida
Date: 2011-10-25

Uploaded by gingin

Uploaded by gingin

Location: Fountain, Florida
Date: 2012-12-27
taken in my greenhouse

Uploaded by gingin

Uploaded by SongofJoy

Location: Botanical Garden, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Date: 2014-02-02

Uploaded by bonitin

Uploaded by bonitin

Uploaded by bonitin

Uploaded by gingin

Uploaded by treehugger

Uploaded by treehugger

Location: Fountain, Florida
Date: 2012-05-27

Uploaded by gingin

Location: In home
Date: 2011-12-02
Gout plant

Uploaded by Ridesredmule

Location: In home
Date: 2011-12-02
Seedpod on my gout plant

Uploaded by Ridesredmule

Uploaded by mellielong

Date: Aug 9, 2011 12:34 PM
Seed form on the gout plant

Uploaded by Ridesredmule

Uploaded by gingin

Uploaded by Ursula

Location: Southwest Florida
Date: summer 2009
This plant develops a nice caudex as it gets older.

Uploaded by Dutchlady1

Uploaded by selinastreet9

Comments:

Posted by Baja_Costero (Baja California - Zone 11b) on Feb 22, 2018 4:02 PM concerning plant:

Ornamental pachycaul with a swollen base, deciduous leaves, and bright orange or red flowers. Native to Central America. Looks good when leafy, looks good when leafless (especially when grown to favor the bottle form), looks great in bloom. Relatively common in cultivation. Monoecious and self fertile.

The form of this plant can be quite different depending on where and how it's grown. In the ground, it loses its "fat" look and grows much taller (to about 6 feet). In containers, especially given limited space, it will be a stouter, shorter plant. You can also prune it to favor this form. Strong light and excellent drainage are important. Leaves may grow bigger in partially shaded locations.

In tropical climates this plant may flower and grow year round. In subtropical climates it may lose most or all of its leaves in the fall or winter. Do not overwater at this time. When the plant is in leaf and temperatures are warm, water regularly.

4 replies

Plant Events from our members
antsinmypants	On February 19, 2023	Maintenance performed Treated for Black Scale.
antsinmypants	On July 6, 2022	Plant emerged
antsinmypants	On June 29, 2022	Seeds sown 1 outdoors in container. Soaked overnight.

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Jatropha Buddha Belly Plant (Jatropha podagrica)

Jatropha
Buddha Belly Plant (Jatropha podagrica)