Let's begin with what it is—a dramatic tropical plant that can easily grow ten feet tall in a season with huge colorful leaves as big as dinner plates. In fact don't even have them in or around a house with small children. The highly toxic seeds beaded into necklaces, cause skin irritation at the contact point. Native to Africa, the castor bean is a dramatic tropical plant featuring leaves as big as dinner plates and attractive seedpods. Wear protective clothing, gloves and eye protection before starting control work. Join our friendly community that shares tips and ideas for gardens, along with seeds and plants. Removing castor bean plants from your yard involves destroying the entire plant while taking precautions to keep yourself safe during the process. The caster bean plant, Ricinus communis, is a native of tropical Africa and is grown in many gardens in North America for its fabulous large leaves.Here in zone 5 it is an annual that can grow to 5 feet in one season. Either remove the castor plants from the garden with pods or leave them if growing as perennial. Commonly found in the wild along stream banks, riverbeds on low lying areas, this aggressive vine is the source of one of nature’s best natural oils, castor … Castor bean is a tropical plant that has a high photosynthetic capacity with high humidity (Dai et al. Not only will they allow plants to grow in next year, but they can kill any unsuspecting animal that eats them. The University of California Cooperative Extension recommends that you not use poisonous plants such as the castor bean for garden mulch or compost, while the Chattanooga Audubon Society asserts that small amounts may be incorporated in a larger compost pile. I understand the plant is very poisonous but it is beautiful and I would like to grow it. Q: A friend of mine gave me some seeds of castor bean. Wear garden gloves, long-sleeved shirt and long pants during harvesting castor beans and disposal of plants. The castor bean plant is desirable for several reasons. Dig out roots. Recent flower breeding has created canna foliage that is even showier than the petals, with … 1992). No, castor beans are, in no way, related to any other plant in the bean family (not even remotely). Asked October 1, 2016, 10:33 AM EDT. If they ingest the leaves or swallow the seeds, they may get poisoned. The leaves, seed-heads, and stalk of this tall plant are pretty attractive. Direct sow after last frost or start indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost. Castor Bean fall disposal or compost. While the seeds are the highly poisonous part of the plant (chewed well, a single seed can kill a person UNPLEASANTLY), the entire plant is actually poisonous. Castor Bean seeds can be sown directly into the garden where they are to grow in the spring after all danger of frost has passed. Cut down stems and leave to rot down. Growing Castor Bean Plants from Seed. Although you can plant castor bean seeds directly in the garden, a couple of techniques will improve your chances of germination. The seeds of Ricinus communis are extremely toxic, so be careful when handling and saving them. It contains alkaloids that deter most garden pests, plus, if it is strategically planted, helps to protect the rest of the garden from pests. Castor bean plants (Ricinus ommunis) are native to the Ethiopian region of Africa but have been naturalized in warm climates all over the world. The seeds of the castor bean plant contain ricin, a potent poison with no known antidote. Perennial in Zones 8-10, annual elsewhere. Castor bean is not found in arid places. How do I dispose of them in the fall? While you're working with it, it would be best to wear gloves. Low humidity strongly inhibits photosynthesis because of stomatal closure. Castor bean plants, also known as mole plants due to a reputation for repelling moles, are a beautiful annual ornamental that grows quickly and may reach higher than 8 feet by the end of summer. Yes, castor oil is extracted from castor beans. A thread in the Beginner Gardening forum, titled disposing of mature castor bean plants … The Castor Bean plant is cultivated as an annual tropical plant in the northern climates and kept as ornamental saplings in pots for patios, porches or decks at homes. I noticed several of these plants at the arboretum. Some gardeners, especially those with small pets and children, may choose to remove and discard …