Jatropha integerrima, Jatropha pandurata

Peregrina is an evergreen shrub or small tree with glossy leaves and clusters of star shaped bright scarlet flowers. The plant has a rounded or narrow domed form and gets up to 15 ft tall with a spread of 10 ft or so, although in cultivation it is usually smaller. Peregrina often grows shrublike with several slender trunks, but it can be pruned to a single trunk. The leaves are extremely variable; they may be entire and elliptic or oval, or they may be fiddle shaped, or they may have three sharp pointed lobes. They are bronze when young and brownish on the undersides. The flowers are about 1 in across and borne in multi-flowered terminal clusters almost all year round. 'Compacta' is a smaller, more compact cultivar.

Peregrina is tolerant of a wide variety of soils as long as they are well drained. Blooms on the current year's growth so it can be pruned at any time of the year. It handles pruning well and can be kept to shrub size, trained to a tree form or used in espalier. Drought tolerant. Damaged by frost and is considered marginal in zones 9B and 10A.

Peregrina is a spectacular shrub in bloom most of the year. It makes a fine container plant on the patio or at poolside. It attracts butterflies and hummingbirds.

Like many of the euphorbs, Jatropha contains a milky sap that can irritate sensitive skin. All parts of the plant are reported to be poisonous if ingested.

Similar plants:

• Jatropha berlandieri (Jatropha Buddah Belly, Baseball Plant)
• Jatropha curcas (Physic Nut, Purging Nut)
• Jatropha gossypiifolia (Bellyache bush, Cotton Leaf, Physic nut, Sibidigua, Tua-Tua)
• Jatropha mahafalensis (Jatropha)
• Jatropha multifida, Adenoropium multifidum (Jatropha Tree)
• Jatropha podagrica (Gout Plant, Gout Stick, Buddha Belly, Guatemala Rhubarb, Tartogo)
• Jatropha sp. (Coral Plant)
• Jatropha unicostata (Jatropha)