Beware of Castor Beans

The castor bean is Native to Africa and is the only member of the genus Ricinus, but has many varieties. The castor bean plant is a distant relative of the poinsettia. They grow very fast and sometimes reach as tall as 10 feet. They like well drained soil and die the first time it frosts. They are an annual. Some people plant them as ornamentals due to their bright red or purple foliage and unusual tick shaped flowers. The male flowers are white, while the female ones are pink - both male and female grow on the same plant and the wind cross pollinates them. Under the right conditions their pointed leaves can reach as much as 3 feet in length.

Castors are grown for their seeds which contain oils which are valued for industrial and medicinal purposes. Industrially they are used as lubricants, and in preservatives, waxes, insecticide, cosmetics, and crayons. People use it as a hair product. Their medicinal value can be determined to go back to at least 6000 years in Egypt, where is has been found in pharaohs tombs. Later many folk remedies used castor oil.

A by-product of caster seeds that have been pressed is animal food or fertilizer. It sure tastes like fertilizer believe me! They also make paper out of the seed cakes. India produces the most castor oil even though it is native to Africa.

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