Buddha Belly Plant
Sources last read 14 September 2026.
Not yet rated How forgiving it is has not been judged here yet.
Also called Bottle Euphorbia, Buddha Belly, Gout Plant, goutystalk nettlespurge, Guatemala rhubarb and tartogo.
Buddha Belly Plant is toxic
- Not assessed for cats. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
- Not assessed for dogs. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
- Toxic to people. Harmful when eaten. Use gloves and protective gear when handling it. RHS
What the sources say about its care
- Light
- Full sun, Partial shadeRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Water
- Well-drainedRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Humidity
No source read publishes a humidity figure for any plant on this site. What follows is general guidance for foliage plants.
Most foliage plants prefer more humidity than a heated room gives; succulents are named as an exceptionPenn State Extension · read 13 September 2026- Temperature
How cold this tolerates, not what it prefers. No source read for this site publishes a preferred range for a plant indoors.
H1B — 10–15°C 10–15 °CRHS · read 13 September 2026- Soil
- Loam, Sand; pH Acid or Alkaline or NeutralRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to cats
- Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to dogs
- Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Harmful to people
- Harmful when eaten. Use gloves and protective gear when handling it.RHS · read 13 September 2026
Routine care
- Watering
- Let the soil dry between waterings, and water less in winter. Native habitat.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026In the growing season water moderately; through autumn and winter keep dry.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Propagation
- Seed, stem cuttingsNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026In spring or summer sow seed in containers at 24°C (75°F).RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pruning
- Pruning is not needed.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pests and diseases
- Can be troubled by mealybugs.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Mealybugs can occur. Diseases: usually none.RHS · read 13 September 2026
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About the plant
Jatropha podagrica is a species of flowering, caudiciform succulent plant in the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, aligning it closely with related genera such as Croton, Euphorbia and Ricinus, among others. It is native to the neotropics of Central America and southern Mexico, but is grown as an ornamental plant in many parts of the world due to its unusual appearance and mature caudex development. Common names for the species include gout-plant, gout-stalk, Guatemalan rhubarb, coral-plant, Buddha-belly plant, purging-nut, physic-nut, goutystalk nettlespurge, Australian bottleplant and tartogo.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · read 13 September 2026
- Native range
- S. Mexico to NicaraguaWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026Mexico to NicaraguaNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026C AmericaRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Climate
- seasonally dry tropicalWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- Growth form
- caudex shrubWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026Shrub, Succulent; habit erectNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Bushy (deciduous)RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Size
- Height 24–36 in; width 12–24 inNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Height 0.1-0.5 metres; spread 0.1-0.5 metres after 5–10 yearsRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Flowering
- Flowers orange, red/burgundy; blooms in fall, spring, summer, winterNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Flowers red in summerRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Uses
What sources record people using this plant for. A traditional or medicinal use listed here is a record of use, not advice to eat it or treat anything with it.
Used in herbal medicine in the past.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
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Sources
- ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Wikipedia · read 13 September 2026
What this does not cover
The figures above are what published sources say, not measurements of the plant in your room. They say nothing about your pot size, your water, the season, or how far from the glass the plant stands, and those decide more than any figure here does.
Humidity has no species figure because no source read for this site publishes one, and the only temperature published for this plant is a cold floor. The simulator fills those gaps with general figures for its kind of plant, marked as general and listed on how we read sources. Where a toxicity row says the plant was not assessed, that is the absence of a finding and not a finding of safety.
If something is already wrong, the diagnosis tool asks about the soil, the window and the watering, which is where the answer usually is.