Are red castor beans poisonous?
Castor beans contain ricin, one of the most toxic substances known. They may cause an acute and potentially fatal gastroenteritis.
Are castor bean plants illegal?
Growing the plant as an ornamental or a crop is not illegal, but extracting and concentrating ricin from it is, as you would in effect be making a potent biological weapon (obviously, I do not recommend that, either). Please read on for a full explanation.
How poisonous are castor bean plants?
Clinical Signs: Beans are very toxic: oral irritation, burning of mouth and throat, increase in thirst, vomiting, diarrhea, kidney failure, convulsions. Access to ornamental plants or pruned foliage most common in poisonings.
What happens if you touch a castor bean plant?
Skin and eye exposure: Ricin is unlikely to be absorbed through normal skin. Contact with ricin powders or products may cause redness and pain of the skin and the eyes. However, if you touch ricin that is on your skin and then eat food with your hands or put your hands in your mouth, you may ingest some.
Do birds eat castor beans?
Ricin (glycoprotein) is found in highest concentration in the seeds. Birds that eat the seeds will be affected because their muscular stomach grinds the seeds to release the toxins. The leaves of the castor bean plant are also poisonous causing transitory muscle tremors, ataxia, and excessive salivation.
How long does it take for a castor bean plant to grow?
1-3 weeks
Seedlings should start coming up in 1-3 weeks. The young plants grow quite quickly and may need repotting into larger containers before transplanting outdoors. Place the plants outdoors in full sun and deep, rich soil about 4 feet apart.
Will castor oil keep deer away?
Remember to spray them at the level the wildlife would attack those plants. The primary way most repellents work is to make plants smelly. The castor oil gives the animals a stomach ache and can train the creatures to avoid plants sprayed with that repellent. Deer are adaptable.
How do you grow castor beans from seed?
When grown as an ornamental, castor bean can be planted directly in the garden in late spring, or started indoors earlier (6-8 weeks before the average last frost) and transplanted outdoors when the weather warms. Nick or scarify the seeds or soak overnight for better germination. Sow the seeds 1-1½ inches deep.