Jatropha Curcas

The Jatropha tree is very resistant to aridity.  It can grow, even in the desert.  It will grow on wastelands, on almost any terrain, even gravelly, sandy, saline soils.  It can withstand short spells of light frost and can produce for up to 40 years.  The flowers only develop at the end of a stem, so a plant presenting many branches produces the greatest amount of fruit.

The main use of this tree is in extracting the Jatropha oil from the seeds, to process into high-quality biodiesel.  It can yield four times as much fuel as soybeans and more than 10 times as much as corn.  Jatropha oil can also be used for making soap, candles, and other forms of illumination.

There are other uses for the Jatropha tree:

• Although the plant is generally toxic, the young leaves can be safely eaten (steamed or stew).
• The cake leftover after extracting the oil from the seed can be used as an organic fertilizer.
• It is used as a living fence to protect gardens and fields from animals and human intruders.