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Jatropha podagrica

Gout Plant; Guatamalan Rhubarb

The Gout Plant is a small, succulant shrub from Central America. It is an interesting tropical plant because of its unusually, almost grotesquely swollen trunk. The trunk is gray, and becomes knobby with age.

The leaves are large with 3 to 5 lobes. They are dark green on the upper surface, and glaucous on the underside. The inflorenscence is a long stem of multiple orange - red flowers rising from the center of the base. It will bloom off and on all year, with a break only during the coldest season.

The Gout Plant will do very well in tropical areas when placed in the ground, reaching a height of 3 to 4 feet. It likes fertile, well drained sandy soil, but gets along in almost any type of soil. For best blooming, it likes to be placed in a full sun location, but will do very well in a shady area also - although it will not provide as many blooms.

As a house plant it will do well if kept in a very bright location. If kept in a container, it usually will stay below 28 inches. It likes to dry out between waterings and will rot if kept too wet. Make sure the container has adequate drainage holes to allow any excess water to escape.

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