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Castor Bean

Annual Flower

Ricinus communis
Euphorbiaceae Family

Huge plants (up to 10 feet tall) with large, coarse-textured leaves bring a bold, tropical look to the garden. A good annual to create height quickly or as a background for smaller plants. Caution: Entire plant (and especially the seeds) are poisonous.

	Site and Plant Characteristics
	Growing Information
	Varieties

Site Characteristics

Sunlight:

full sun

Soil conditions:

requires well-drained soil

Performs best in rich soil that is moist but well-drained.

Plant Traits

Lifecycle: annual

Ease-of-care: easy

Height: 4 to 10 feet

Spread: 2 to 5 feet

Bloom time:

mid-summer
late summer

Flower color: inconspicuous

Foliage color:

medium green
dark green
other

Depends on variety. Colors include purple-red, red-brown, and green.

Foliage texture: coarse

Leaves are 1 to 1.5 feet wide and have 5 to 12 lobes.

Shape: upright

Shape in flower: same as above

Special Considerations

Special characteristics:

deer resistant
non-aggressive
non-invasive
not native to North America - Native to Africa.
bears ornamental fruit - Burred seed campsules are red and showy. Seeds are very poisonous.

Special uses:

direct-seeding

Growing Information

How to plant:

Propagate by seed - Start seeds outdoors after spring frost danger has passed, or indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last spring frost.

Germination temperature: 70 F to 75 F

Days to emergence: 14 to 21

Maintenance and care:

Plants may need staking. Fertilize if soil is infertile.
More growing information: How to Grow Annuals

Varieties

�Carmencita Pink�: 5� tall plants with pink seed heads.
�Impala�: young growth is maroon and showy.
�Sanguineus�: 8� tall plants have leaves with reddish tones.
�Zanzibariensis�: 10 to 15� tall fast growing plants with deep green leaves.