Skip to main content

Castor Bean

(Ricinus communis)
 
Close-up of castor bean plant with bright green, star-shaped leaves lit from behind.
Person standing with a shovel in front of a large castor bean plant with huge palmate leaves in a garden.
Seven mottled brown castor bean seeds arranged next to a U.S. dime for size comparison.

 

Description: 

A cultivated shrub that may freeze back in cold areas. Grows 6-15 feet tall. Large-lobed leaves are 1-3 feet across on young plants, smaller on older plants. The mottled black, brown and white glossy seeds are enclosed in a spiny husk and grow in clusters on the seed stalk.

Poisonous Parts: 
Entire plant, especially the seeds