1 What is a Jatropha Curcas Tree: Jatropha Uses in The Landscape

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(Jatropha curcas) was once touted as the brand-new wunderkind plant for biofuel. What is a Jatropha curcas tree? The tree or bush grows in any type of soil at a rapid rate, is poisonous, and produces fuel suitable for diesel engines. Keep reading for more Jatropha tree details and see how you rate this plant.

What is a Jatropha Curcas Tree?

Jatropha is a seasonal shrub or tree. It is drought-resistant and easy to grow in tropical to semi-tropical areas. The plant lives for approximately 50 years and may grow nearly 20 feet (6 m.) tall. It has a deep, thick taproot that makes it adaptable to bad, dry soil. The leaves are oval, lobed, and deciduous. Overall, the plant is not particularly aesthetically enticing, but it does get appealing green cymes of flowerets which develop into a tri-compartment fruit with big black seeds. These big black seeds are the reason for all the hullaballoo, due to the fact that they are high in burnable oil. A fascinating piece of Jatropha tree details is that it is listed as a weed in Brazil, Fiji, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Panama, Puerto Rico, and Salvador. This shows how adaptable and durable the plant is even when introduced to a new region. Jatropha curcas cultivation can produce oil that is a good alternative to present biofuels. Its usefulness has been challenged, but it is true the plant can produce seeds with an oil material of 37%. Unfortunately, it is still a part of the food vs. fuel debate, as it needs land that could go into food production. Scientists are trying to establish a "super Jatropha" with larger seeds and, for that reason, bigger oil yields.

Jatropha Curcas Cultivation

Jatropha uses are rather limited. Most parts of the plant are poisonous to consume due to the latex sap, but it is used as a medicinal. It works in dealing with snakebite, paralysis, dropsy, and obviously some cancers. The plant might have come from Central to South America, however it has been introduced all over the world and flourishes wild in places like India, Africa, and Asia. Chief among Jatropha uses is its prospective as a tidy burning fuel to replace nonrenewable fuel sources. Plantation growing in certain locations has actually been tried, however general Jatropha curcas growing has actually been a miserable failure. This is since the production mass of oil can not equate to the land use by cropping Jatropha.

Jatropha Plant Care and Growth

The plant is easy to grow from cuttings or seed. Cuttings result in much faster maturity and quicker seed production. It chooses warm climates, however it can endure a light frost. The deep taproot makes it drought-tolerant, although the best development will be achieved with additional watering occasionally. It doesn't have any significant disease or pest issues in its natural regions. It might be pruned, however flowers and fruit kind on terminal development, so it is best to wait up until after flowering. No other Jatropha plant care is necessary. This plant works as a hedge or living fence, or simply as an ornamental stand-alone specimen.

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Bonnie Grant is a professional landscaper with a Certification in Urban Gardening. She has been gardening and composing for 15 years. A previous expert chef, she wants edible landscaping.