Would you consider this a tropical? I luv the intense color.
:) Donna
Jatropha integerrima
Yes, but I think the real Jatropha addicts are over at C&S. Great color. I have 2 jatrophas, a podagrica (bald now for winter) and multifida seedlings I just germinated.
I was going to post there and got confused....lol! I also have multifida, podagrica and gossypifolia seeds to plant. How did you start your multifida?
:) Donna
Not sure I would consider the integerrima a cacti or succulent. Unlike some of the other Jatropha's which have bulbous bases, this one is a shrub much like a crape myrtle. Although they are usually deciduous, mine has not lost it's leaves this year.
It blends well with tropicals and is hardy in semi tropical or warmer climates so...............
bb, I have a multifida with buds right now, hoping for more mild weather for while yet.
Hi all, since jatrophas like to be a bit dry and go dormant in winter, they belong more with C&S than tropicals, IMHO.
Donna, I bought these seed starting packs from seedman.com that were made for C&S. As far as I can tell, the medium was peat plus watersorb gel plus some plant food. They come with pots and ziploc bags and plastic markers to create humidity domes. I followed the directions, moistened the peat cakes and crumbling them, placing them in the pots, then putting the seeds in, etc. I put the pots in the ziplocs near southern light and waited. I started 11/30/6 and by late Dec., I could see seedlings beginning to sprout. Where I saw some white mold, I spritzed with Physan and the seedlings still sprouted. I haven't transplanted yet, but I removed the zioploc bags and went to cut-off soda and water bottles instead for humidity domes. and I moved them into the sun now that they've sprouted. I'm watering when the peat feels dry too.
BTW, my podagrica seeds started themselves, I didn't have to do anything but remove the volunteers when they got big enough .
Great idea using the soda bottles as domes. I'll have to remember that one.
Make sure they're not colored. My DH was saving the green one for me, had to explain to him why those wouldn't work.
Hi Donna
Is the color of your flower true? It is showing on my computer as almost magenta. Mine is kind of an orangey red. Maybe it's just my computer screen?
Kay
Kay, in person mine is orangy red too but there must be some underlying blue in the flower color because in photos mine looks different also.
In person mine is showing the pink.
Oh wow, Donna! That is one more gorgeous color! Save those seeds and plant them and see if they produce that pink color! You might just have a new hybrid!
I've been growing these for years and they all grow so well from seed, I can't remember whether or not I've ever tried to propagate them from cuttings or not. If cuttings will work, that would get you the same flower for sure.
Anybody ever done these from cuttings?
Kay
wow I like the pink better than the red
I am with Donna. I really like the pink. Can you tell us where you got it?
Ditto, that pink is lovely and very special.
I've rooted cuttings of the integerrima. PerennialGirl, anytime you want ot get rid of cuttings let me know.......
Donna looks like you are going have to save us all seeds lol
Thank you Kay, DonnaB, Marie and ardesia! I haven't seen seeds on it yet, probably because it's inside the house. I will take a picture of the plant to show you. I have never taken cuttings of this type of plant to propagate but if I have any side branches I'm willing to try.
:) Donna
Donna, you know how it is to ship plant material from Canada to the US. However, if you ever get any seeds, I could definitely find you something special to trade for a couple. My experience is that these seeds nearly always germinate.
'Soon as you get warm, put that baby out and let the bees do their work! LOL
Kay
How about using a Q-Tip or small paint brush and helping mother nature along?????
Here is mine, almost continuously in bloom.
Beautiful, Dinu! Mine has been doing the same thing to.
:) Donna
I also have the pink one. Here it is. Pic not as sharp as I wanted.
and here is my 'baby pink' one.....i didn't realize they come in so many colors...
I want a pink one!!!
marieortiz, are you talking to me? I have had great trouble propagating this one....the wood is much harder than the red ones...however, something wonderful happend to me Saturday. I went to a new nursery with big greenhouses on the coast. They had an entire bench 50 feet long where they were propagating the red one which is real popular down here. when I expained that i couldn't propagate the baby pink one, he got so excited as he had never seen one.....so he asked me to bring all the cuttings I could get off of it this week and HE would start new ones.....he said that when they had established enough plants, he would give me some back. I think that this summer it will be a lot easier to me to take the new growth which is softer and try cuttings again on them. Send me a dmail or I will forget in the coming months that you want one.....
gail
I was just wishing out loud. But I would be happy to take one off your hands . Heck right now I am hoping my red one comes back to life. You have d-mail.
This message was edited Feb 19, 2007 10:15 AM
my dmail will pop up in a minute....I know where they grow these....just found out..........littly bitty Texas town of 500 on the coast.....would love to get my hands on them before they get sooooooooo big....because when they get big, they charge 40.00 each....
Mine is in full leaf and bloom right now and is year round. I hae it it 4-5 years and it gets the same treatment as all my landscape shrubs. I would never considered this shrub.small tree as a c&s.
Jan...
AND you are lucky to be in zone 9b in Florida....my friends on DG who live in 9a in florida haven't even had a freeze in years.....not us in zone 9 in texas...
Betty
Where did you find the pink. The reds are common as marigolds here but I haven't seen the pink yet.
Dont' laugh but I live on the coast of Texas....all these tiny nurseries everywhere along the coast.....I found one last summer but it was big in a 3 gallon container and costs 40.00......now I know where they are growing them.....in a little place called Bayside....now I want to go back over othere and ask if they will sell me some before they get big.....I have not given up on propagating them but the wood is hard....have 3 long cuttings in water looking good this time...last time I tried soil-less mix and perlite...no deal!!!
No frost here either Bettygail but it was cold this past Friday night. Thermometer said the low was 34 and I did have some damage to some lof the leaves on my Jatropha. This one is in a container on my deck and is fully exposed. It stopped blooming as soon as the nights got chilly but I think we are about over with the really cold weather so I am counting on flowers soon.
Gosh, I hope that nursery will sell you some little J.'s, they grow so quickly it isn't worth paying big bucks for a large one.
the main thing is they are too hard to pack in boxes for trading???????????????? I cut the red ones back yesterday, but holding off on the pink one so I can give this one man some cuttings. he asked me to email him a picture and I haven't heard back from him, so he may not get them.....will always try.....we got down to 28 the other night....