Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Origin
Melanesia, Australia
Caribbean, Central America, South America, Madagascar, South Africa
Types
Umbrella plant
Amate
Jatropha bullockii, Jatropha cinerea, Jatropha excisa
Habitat
gardens, Homesteads, Roadsides, Tropical regions, Woods
Pastures, Roadsides, Warmer regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-15
-9999
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 23, 24
10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Upright/Erect
Flower Color
Red, Pink
White, Yellow, Red, Purple, Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Red, Purple
Light Green, Lime Green, Yellow, Green, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Red, Purple
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Shape
Elliptic
Palmately Lobed
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
All year
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Bright direct sunlight, Full Sun, Partial Sun
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Dry, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Slightly Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall, Late Fall
All year
Tolerances
Pollution, Soil Compaction
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Transplanting
Seedlings, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Requirements
Do Not over Water, Keep the ground moist but not water-logged, Water occasionally
Needs less watering, Water occasionally
In Summer
Lots of watering
Drought Tolerant, Average Water
In Spring
Moderate
Less Watering
In Winter
Average Water
Less Watering
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Bright direct sunlight, Full Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune for shortening long shoots, Prune if you want to improve plant shape
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, No fertilizers needed
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Anthracnose, Leaf spot, Powdery mildew, Red blotch, Rust
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought, Drought and Salt, Heat Tolerance
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Coarse
Bold
Attracts
Birds
Bees, Flying insects, Hoverflies
Allergy
Dermititis
allergic conjunctivitis, Eye irritation
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
Good for skin and hair, Removes pimples, Skin inflammation, Skin irritation
Edible Uses
Yes
Sometimes
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Insect Repellent, No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed, Suppresses or replaces native plants, Versatility
Medicinal Uses
Arthritis, Asthma, Headache, Rheumatoid arthritis, Stomach pain
anti-allergy, epilepsy, Fever, Skin irritation, Skin Redness
Part of Plant Used
Root
Leaves, Sap, Seeds, Stem
Other Uses
Employed in herbal medicine, Showy Purposes
Oil is used as fuel, Oil is used in perfume, soaps, creams, etc., Used in biomass
Used As Indoor Plant
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Houseplant, Screening / Wind Break, Street Trees, Tropical
Container, Feature Plant, Hedges, Screening, Wind Break, Topiary, Bonsai, Espalier, Tropical
Botanical Name
SCHEFFLERA actinophylla
JATROPHA
Common Name
Octopus Tree
Barbados nut, purging nut, physic nut, or JCL
In Hindi
ऑक्टोपस पेड़
रतनजोत
In German
Octopus tree
Purgiernuß
In French
arbre Octopus
purghère
In Spanish
árbol pulpo
frailejón
In Greek
χταπόδι δέντρο
jatropha
In Portuguese
Octopus árvore
galamaluco
In Polish
Ośmiornica drzewo
jatrofa
In Latin
polypus ligno
Jatropha
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Apiales
Euphorbiales
Family
Araliaceae
Euphorbiaceae
Genus
Schefflera
Jatropha
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Dicotyledonous
Subfamily
Aralioideae
Crotonoideae
Importance of Octopus Tree and Jatropha
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Octopus Tree and Jatropha. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Octopus Tree and Jatropha as they differ in many characteristics such as their life, care, benefits, facts, etc. Every gardener must at least have the slightest clue about the plants he wants to plant in his garden. Compare their benefits, which differ in many ways like facts and uses. The medicinal use of Octopus Tree is Arthritis, Asthma, Headache, Rheumatoid arthritis and Stomach pain whereas of Jatropha is anti-allergy, epilepsy, Fever, Skin irritation and Skin Redness. Octopus Tree has beauty benefits as follows: while Jatropha has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of Octopus Tree vs Jatropha
How to choose the best garden plant for your garden depending upon its facts? Here garden plant comparison will help you to solve this query. Compare the facts of Octopus Tree vs Jatropha and know which one to choose. As garden plants have benefits and other uses, allergy is also a major drawback of plants for some people. Allergic reactions of Octopus Tree are Dermititis whereas of Jatropha have allergic conjunctivitis and Eye irritation respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Octopus Tree has showy fruits and Jatropha has showy fruits. Also Octopus Tree is not flowering and Jatropha is not flowering . You can compare Octopus Tree and Jatropha facts and facts of other plants too.