Jatropha Berlandieri

Jatropha Berlandieri

Jatropha berlandieri is a super cool plant! It’s one of those quirky, caudex-forming succulents that collectors love:

🌿 Jatropha berlandieri — Quick Profile

• Common Name: Jatropha Berlandieri, Guayacán, or sometimes “Jatropha Buddha Belly” (though that nickname’s shared with a few Jatrophas)

• Family: Euphorbiaceae

• Origin: Native to Texas and northern Mexico

• Growth Type: Caudiciform (grows a swollen base for water storage)

• Height: Usually stays under 2 feet tall, but the caudex can get really fat over time

• Flowers: Small, red to pink, showy — often blooms on and off during warm months

• Leaves: Palmate, like little green hand fans, and deciduous in winter

🪴 Care Tips

☀️ Light

• Full sun to bright indirect light.

• Outdoors in hot, dry climates? Perfect.

• Indoors? Give it a super bright spot — think southern or western window.

💧 Watering

• It’s a true drought-lover.

• Water when the soil is bone dry, especially during growing season (spring/summer).

• In winter, cut way back — the plant may drop leaves and go dormant.

• Never let it sit in water (root rot is the enemy).

🌱 Soil

• Needs super well-draining soil.

• Use cactus/succulent mix + extra perlite, pumice, or coarse sand.

• Even better if it’s in a shallow pot that helps show off the caudex.

🌡️ Temperature

• Likes it warm: 65–95°F (18–35°C).

• Protect from frost! Bring it inside below 50°F (10°C).

• It can handle brief dips in cooler temps, but it won’t like it.

🌸 Fertilizer

• During active growth: Light feeding every 4–6 weeks.

• Use a balanced, diluted fertilizer — or one made for cacti/succulents.

• Don’t feed during dormancy.

🪴 Potting

• Choose a shallow, wide container to show off the caudex.

• Terracotta pots are ideal (they breathe).

• Repot every couple of years — or when it outgrows its pot.

✂️ Pruning / Propagation

• Can be pruned to control shape or encourage branching.

• Propagated by seeds or cuttings, but seeds are not always easy to find.

• Cuttings need to be dried a few days before planting in dry soil.

⚠️ Watch Out

• Toxic: Like most Jatrophas, all parts are toxic if ingested — keep away from pets and kids.

• Pests: Occasionally gets spider mites or mealybugs — treat with neem oil or insecticidal soap.

• Leaf drop in winter is normal!