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

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Jatropha (Jatropha curcas) was once promoted as the brand-new wunderkind plant for biofuel. What is a Jatropha curcas tree? The tree or bush grows in any kind of soil at a fast rate, is hazardous, and produces fuel fit for diesel engines. Keep reading for more jatropha curcas tree info 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 simple to grow in tropical to semi-tropical places. The plant lives for up to 50 years and might grow almost 20 feet (6 m.) high. It has a deep, thick taproot which makes it adaptable to bad, dry soil. The leaves are oval, lobed, and deciduous. Overall, the plant is not particularly aesthetically attractive, but it does get attractive green cymes of flowerets which become a tri-compartment fruit with large black seeds. These large black seeds are the reason for all the hullaballoo, because they are high in burnable oil. An intriguing piece of jatropha curcas tree information is that it is listed as a weed in Brazil, Fiji, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Panama, Puerto Rico, and Salvador. This shows how adaptable and sturdy the plant is even when presented to a new region. Jatropha curcas growing can produce oil that is a good replacement for current 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 might enter into food production. Scientists are trying to establish a "very Jatropha" with larger seeds and, for that reason, larger oil yields.

Jatropha Curcas Cultivation

Jatropha uses are rather restricted. Most parts of the plant are poisonous to eat due to the latex sap, but it is utilized as a medicinal. It is helpful in treating snakebite, paralysis, dropsy, and apparently some . The plant might have come from Central to South America, however it has been presented all over the world and flourishes wild in places like India, Africa, and Asia. Chief amongst jatropha curcas uses is its potential as a clean burning fuel to replace nonrenewable fuel sources. Plantation cultivation in certain locations has been tried, but total Jatropha curcas growing has been a miserable failure. This is due to the fact that the production mass of oil can not equate to the land use by cropping jatropha curcas.

Jatropha Plant Care and Growth

The plant is easy to grow from cuttings or seed. Cuttings lead to quicker maturity and quicker seed production. It chooses warm climates, however it can make it through a light frost. The deep taproot makes it drought-tolerant, although the best growth will be attained with additional watering occasionally. It does not have any significant illness or bug concerns in its natural areas. It might be pruned, however flowers and fruit form on terminal growth, so it is best to wait till after flowering. No other Jatropha plant care is needed. This plant is useful as a hedge or living fence, or just as a decorative 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 former professional chef, she wants edible landscaping.