Same story here in Pasadena, Jenn. It's not dead, but it's wondrous reluctant.

Kayt

Thank you. How long have you grown it?

I'm wondering if I should trim off just the tips at the top where the new growth was nipped in March, in order to encourage new growth from those ends. Or, will it emerge on its own, when it's time?

Here it is, still snoozing. I cropped out the trunk... I'm growing it as a small tree.

Mine is a shrub, at least I bought it to be a shrub, rather than a standard. It's a new plant, purchased just last year. I love the bright red flowers. It still looks sketchy, but because it's a new plant and because the weather has been unbelievably odd -- rain -- in Pasadena -- in May -- I'm reserving judgment. In terms of snipping off the tips that have a little frostbite, if it were mine I'd wait till I saw a little more encouragement from the rest of the plant. My guess is that these little guys are stressed and freaked out by the weather weirdness, in which case a haircut won't help.
Kay

They want warm weather and warmer soil temperatures before they will show any signs of new growth. If you were growing this same plant out in the desert, and already getting 85F temps every day, your plant wouldn't have the same issues. It is poorly adapted to coastal California, our cool nights even in summer don't really allow this plant to shine. When I see this being sold occasionally here in Berkeley, I have to laugh, but I suppose it is okay for a nursery to sell this if someone really wants to try it, but it plain won't bloom a second time in our climate. Euphorbia cotiniifolia is another plant that acts the same here...

Thank you for the replies. I forgot to include a photo.

The first photo was taken April 2010 -- apparently, that was a warmer spring than we're having this year -- not yet fully leafed out yet but already blooming.
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... and here it is now, still snoozing...
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... and here it is when I bought it in April 2007. I planted it that year, so it has come back every year since then.
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It's still asleep. :( Our weather has not stayed consistently warm, and this spot doesn't get direct sun until late morning. I'm still hopeful though, since it did wake up in 2008, 2009, and 2010 in the same spot.

I like it so much I planted another one in a different spot that gets direct sun from morning until early afternoon in addition to reflected heat against the house. It might have a better chance there.

Ah, Jenn, I think that might be a happier place for your jatropha. Mine shook off its winter doldrums almost immediately after our last report. (I wonder if it saw Mr. Shovel hiding behind my back.) Have you confirmed that what you have is sleep, not, um, permanent rest?

Kay

PS: With your fingernail or the edge of a gardening tool, gently scrape away the outermost layer on one of the branches. Is what you see green underneath?

Kay, I keep thinking I see a tiny bit of growth on the tip of each stem, but then it doesn't seem any bigger after a week or two.

I think that is a cool spot there, in spite of it being directly in front of a fence on the north side of it, but it doesn't see sun until late morning so the soil may still not be warm enough yet. We've had some colder temps than those of last winter and it came through those just fine (unfortunately, I didn't record when it started growing and blooming those years). But still bare in June? Heck, we're halfway through the year and still nothing.

Well, I think it's a goner. I did the fingernail scratch test and don't see any green. :-( A few months ago (in winter) I did see green. It still looks like photo #2 above.

In photo #1, the plant in that pot is a dwarf Nagami Kumquat. I'm considering replacing the Jatropha with the Kumquat, which did well in that spot for years (in the pot).

Well, at least we have a new one which I planted last month in the side yard where it will get direct sun from early morning until about 2:00 as well as reflected heat off the house.

RIP. And as you say, at least you have another in a more favorable location.

Kay