Light. Full sun gives the most flowers. It also grows in partial shade.
Water. Water regularly while it establishes. After that it is low maintenance and drought tolerant. It needs well-drained soil.
Soil and feeding. It grows in sand, clay or loam, acidic or alkaline, as long as the soil drains well.
Size. Usually kept to about 8 ft. Unpruned plants can reach about 15 ft tall and as wide.
Pruning. It takes pruning well. Train it as a multi-trunk small tree, a shrub, an espalier or a single-trunk standard. Wear gloves, since the milky sap can irritate skin.
Problems to watch. Pests are seldom serious. Mites, scale and leaf miners show up now and then.
Good to know. Butterflies and hummingbirds visit the flowers. It does not tolerate salt. All parts are poisonous if eaten, especially the seeds; keep it away from children and pets.
Sources: UF/IFAS EDIS ST319: Jatropha integerrima, Peregrina · UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions: Jatropha
