Hi, I am new to Texas (Houston); I have to relearn gardening as if I've never picked up a spade before! I saw a beautiful tree while visiting Galveston, a Peregrina Jathropa (that was the name given to me). Can anyone tell me if these beauties will grow in the Houston area and where I might find one?
Peregrina Jathropa
I think it's this one--Jatropha integerrima, one of the common names is Peregrina
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/2447/index.html
I don't know Texas climate zones very well and you don't mention what zone you're in, but according to Plant Files this one's only hardy to zone 9b so if you're in a chillier zone than that then you're better off keeping it in a pot and protecting it for the winter.
It is actually a bit sturdier than indicated. I grow it successfully here in 9a. One year (when it was newly planted) it died back during a cold spell but it just popped right back when the soil warmed up in spring. I suspect it would do very well in the Houston area.
I may have to give it a try too--until I looked it up in PF this afternoon, I had assumed it was a tropical zone 10+ sort of plant, but now that I know it works in zone 9 I will have to get myself one and try it!
the temps are going down to 30 tonight in south Texas....I am leaving both my red ones and my lonely pink one outside as i am tired of hauling plants around.....the info says they will take down to 25 before freezing and I have them on the south side of the house (which helps about 5 degrees).....my brother has one in the ground which faithfully comes back from the bottom every summer and blooms wonderfully. Please do get one for Houston....have lots of friends in Houston who have them...
This message was edited Feb 15, 2007 9:00 PM
Thank you for all of the wonderful information. This is the first time I've posted a question on this forum. I am so pleasantly surprised at all of the great responses.
Oh those are so pretty in Plant Files ! I need to try one too !
Hi, I have been reading about jathropas . Most of the literature states that the seeds are poisonous. Does anyone know about this? Does this mean that they are poisonous to birds? Do birds go after them? I hope to hear that they hang in pods. Thanks
On this particular Jatropha 3 seeds are in each pod and it takes forever for them to ripen. When they are ripe the pod bursts open and the seeds are flung far and wide. I haven't found a dead bird yet so perhaps they are not attractive to birds.
Birds are much smarter than humans and our pets when it comes to poisonous plants, they have evolved to know what they should and shouldn't eat. I have no idea if jatropha seeds are poisonous or not but it's in Euphorbiaceae, so it's a pretty good bet that parts of the plant itself are poisonous.
Thank you for all of the information. I will try to grab those seed pods before they burst.
For those who have one, do you keep it in a container or plant it in the ground?
I have one that I started a thread on. It has to be in a container here since it is very, very cold in the winter.
:) Donna
tillymarie, do you know what zone you're in? I'm guessing 9a but you would know that better than I would. These are hardy to zone 9b, so in 9b and warmer you can grow it in the ground, but if you're colder than that you ought to keep it in a container so you can protect it for the winter. I see from some of the posts above that some people in 9a have had success with it, but if you hit a bad winter then you could lose it. But even if you're in 9b, you should be prepared to throw something over it during its first couple years if it gets super cold, young plants are more susceptible to cold than more established ones.
tilly marie....if you are in Cypress (north of Houston?) you better grow it in a container...I do mine.....Allison, in the later spring when mine come back, I am going to try propagating again......lost the last cuttings to mealy bug.....but I have three big cuttings of the baby pink in water right now (with a very light fertilizer) and they look so healthy....little buds and leaves coming on them, but no roots yet......plus I am going to take a lot of hardwood cuttings over to that nursery in Ingleside and he said he would love to have the baby pink one.....and that he would give me some plants once he got established growing them in his greenhouse.