Plant profile: Spicy Jatropha (Jatropha integerrima)

Donna Torres for The National

Requiring little-to-no maintenance, this Caribbean plant grows best in the sun

Also known as peregrina or ­Jatropha integerrima, the Spicy Jatropha is a flowering plant that can be grown as a bush, container specimen or small tree.

Native to Cuba and ­Hispaniola, it produces ­clusters of bright-red blooms year round and works well as a patio plant. Those who don’t have a lot of time on their hands or are new to gardening will be happy to know it’s a hardy plant that can be grown with little-to-no ­maintenance.

The plant is drought-tolerant and grows best in the sun, but has a low tolerance of salt. The Jatropha can be propagated from woody stem cuttings or from seeds, collected from the plant’s dried seed heads. All parts of the Jatropha are toxic if ingested, and the latex-like sap it produces is an irritant – something to keep in mind for those with small children or pets.