Buddha Belly Plant, Bottleplant Shrub (Jatropha podagrica)

Observe the seedpods.

Hello, I just bought my beautiful Buddha Belly last week, which looks very similar to your picture with the pods. To my amazement when I came home from work today I found one of the pods had exploded! I found parts of the seed 20 feet away from the plant. I never heard of this plant (or any other) doing this. Am I crazy?
Thanks,
- Kelly

No, you aren't crazy! That is the way it disperses seeds. They always elude me and disappear before I could collect the seeds. It has happened to me many times, but I was never successful in finding its seeds around. After sometime, I see young plants of this growing at places where I least expect. Now I think of tying a thin plastic cover to the pod. My other plant Jatropha multifida has a green pod. I want to collect seeds. I want to try this method. I think it does not turn brown to explode. I think it explodes when it is still green.

I just ordered some of these seeds and I am hoping they have directions as far as planting. I live in Zone 5 so I really don't think they would survive the winter so I'm glad to know about the exploding pods-it gives me a heads up on that. If anyone has any tips on growing these-please let me know.

harumph my plant has a green seed but it's label was Jatropha podagrica..I bought it at Home Depot (!) for $10 - just couldn't resist - it is so charming. However, thanks for the heads up and I will encase the pod with plastic so as to keep the seeds and not have to root them out of the far reaches of my living room! Right now it only has one leaf. Do you fertilize to get more leaves or will it just one day wake up and make more? I live in Washington State and my plant lives inside in a sunny window - that's right I said sunny. We do get sun here more than you think! I am just winging it on care by watering it every 10 days or so and not soaking it. Does anyone know how often I should be watering it?

This is surely a sun-loving plant and can tolerate neglect. I have noticed that after the rains, they grow wider leaves. When it is dry, and if it is not watered regularly, the leaves wilt and the new growth slows down and have smaller leaves. It can take care of itself, nearly! In my picture above, this plant has a lovely bottle shape and is in partial shade. That stores the required moisture for its survival in case of drought. IF it is given more water, then the leaves grow bigger in size. This is how it is in my zone (11) but am not too sure about the lower/colder zones. Fertilizing may not be an important thing for this.

Hey guys, use gauze or some fine mesh. Plastic prevents breathing and may cause rotting due to moisture.

Brilliant, Ulrich!

I just bought one of these Beautiful and unusual plants today at the Jenks Oklahoma Herb festival.... I love the unusual look! Mine has flowers but no leaves and no seed pods. it is about 9" tall and about 3 inches round. I would also like info on watering and care. the people I bought said it is a suculant so treat it like a cactus. Good luck to all you other "FREAKS" like me that love the unusual and appreciate it's beauty!

Rains and moisture will bring you big leaves all round the 'belly'! Mine are also like that this time of the summer.

My now deceased uncle in Florida used to raise Buddha Bellies, Desert Roses, Bamboo and other unusual plants in his greenhouse and would take them to flea markets and sell them. I acquired a Buddha Belly & Desert Rose. Both have bloomed many times. Sometimes my leaves on the Buddha are almost a foot wide. I've received so many comments about it being so strange looking, but that is what I love about it. You can almost see the leaves growing, they grow so fast!! I called my uncle one Sunday morning a couple of years ago to ask him what the seed pods look like, because I have never seen anything that looks like what he was describing. Later that night, he passed away, so I have babied my plant like it is one of my children or grandchildren. I would like to start more plants, but don't seem to have any pods. Any suggestions on getting pods to come on? My Mother gets pods on hers all the time and has sent me some seeds to start, too.

I don't take any care of my Jatropha at all. They grow and live on their own. I see green pods forming and they burst and disperse seeds and I have failed to collect them as they seem to happen all of a sudden. In dry seasons, I hear them burst. The seeds are thrown out many feet around. Someone gave me the idea of tying a plastic cover to the pod to collect seeds as they fall in it. But have not had the patience to do it. They are thick seeds. If you want, I'll try to collect them for you.

I have a BB that I grew from seed in 2006. It is about 12-14" high, but the "belly" is only about 2" around. the rest of the stalk is about 1" around, so that isn't a very big belly! Does anyone know why this might happen?

Other than that, I water is lightly about once a week, and it is indoors with about 3 hours of eastern sun a day. I live in 8b and have never had it outside. When it is warmer, I place it in a windowsil and it goes crazy, with 3-5 leaves at a time. Right now it only has 1.

Any suggestions or comments?

I had one in my mother's house that had a belly 6" across. I came naturally. I have one here too but I've to go and check how much it is - it grows among the wild area in a corner where I don't spend much attention. Will see and revert here probably with a picture if it is worth.

Let me show how a new leaf grows on this plant.