# Coralbush (*jatropha multifida*)

The Coralbush has vibrant, colorful leaves that look like they belong in a treasure chest! This plant loves to soak up the sun and attracts many butterflies with its pretty flowers.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Snaps:** 1
- **Habitat:** Coralbush typically grows in tropical and subtropical regions, often found in gardens and along roadsides.
- **Also known as:** Bellyache Bush, Malawi Jatropha, Physic Nut

![Coralbush](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Jatropha_multifida_bain_boeuf_jard.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Pancrat, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jatropha_multifida_bain_boeuf_jard.jpg)

## Appearance

The Coralbush is a striking shrub with large, deeply lobed, palm-like green leaves. It produces vibrant clusters of coral-red to scarlet star-shaped flowers that stand out against its foliage.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Malpighiales
- **Family:** Euphorbiaceae
- **Genus:** Jatropha

## Interesting facts

- Its Latin name 'Jatropha' surprisingly means 'physician's food,' despite being toxic!
- The plant can be called 'Gout Plant' due to its swollen stem base in older, mature specimens.
- The unusual, deeply cut leaves of the Coralbush look like tiny green hands or coral formations.
- This tropical beauty is often used in traditional medicine, but only by trained specialists!

## Special abilities

- **Sap Shield:** Coralbush has a milky, toxic sap that helps it defend against hungry herbivores trying to take a bite.
- **Seed Launcher:** Its ripe seed capsules can explosively eject seeds several meters, helping them spread far and wide.
- **Pollinator Beacon:** Bright red, star-shaped flowers act as a beacon, attracting hummingbirds and various insects for pollination.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 100-300 cm
- **Spread:** 100-150 cm
- **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Year-round in tropics, summer to fall elsewhere
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** High
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Rufous-tailed Hummingbird (*Amazilia rutila*) — Feeds on nectar from its flowers
- **Pollinates:** Honeybee (*Apis mellifera*) — Gathers nectar and pollen from blooms
- **Eaten by:** Jatropha Moth (*Stenoma cecropia*) — Larvae feed on Coralbush foliage
- **Symbiotic with:** Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungus (*Glomus intraradices*) — Forms beneficial relationship with roots

## Traits

- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
- [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.
- [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night.
- [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

No special safety notes yet.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Coralbush?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Coralbush?

100-300 cm

### How wide does Coralbush spread?

100-150 cm

### How big are the flowers on Coralbush?

1-2 cm

### When does Coralbush bloom?

Year-round in tropics, summer to fall elsewhere

### Is Coralbush edible?

No

### Is Coralbush toxic?

High

### What is Coralbush's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Kahanu Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/kahanu-garden) — Hawaii, US · Botanical Garden
- [Phelps Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/phelps-park) — Florida, US · Park

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Coralbush: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/coralbush)