Castor Bean problem, help, please!

18 years ago

Hi Everyone,

This is the 1st time I've tried a castor bean plant. From my understanding was that they are easy to grow and grow quickly. Well, I put mine in the ground about maybe 6 weeks ago and our weather has been very warm. It gets sun most of the day, but it isn't growing much and now is very wilted. When it wasn't growing I thought maybe because it was producing a flower. Then I removed it and it is now growing another. It is only a little above 1 foot tall and now is very wilted. I watered it very well tonight about 6 hours ago and it still hasn't perked up. Any ideas?

Thanks.

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Comments (5)

TallFlowerinMI
18 years ago
I love Castor Beans! I am no pro, so I don't know how helpful I will be, but I will let you know all I find out. I have 3 that came BACK from last year - Zone 5, which is unusual. I feel blessed, because the seed pods I collected from mine last summer got lost.
Perhaps yours is wilting due to the heat? I know that mine did well last year, and it is in part shade. It doesn't get any sun after 3 or 4 pm. It is also planted behind a spirea where it will remain hidden for the next 3 weeks until it grows taller than the fence. My friends neighbor also grows them in her front yard along the house where they only get Eastern light till noon. Hers get even bigger than mine.
Don't worry, the size of yours sounds right. It should be about a foot tall right now. It doesn't hit a growth spurt till mid July, at least not where I live. Full height (The end of July) will be over 6 feet, with leaves 2-2 1/2 feet across! How cool is that??? You may have to stake it if you have to support for it - I have to tie mine loosley to the fence to keep it from toppeling.

There are other species of the castor bean, if you can obtain seeds to grow next year! Some are green, some are red, and some are yellow varigated. I planted a different one that I collected a seed pod from last summer and I am still waiting for it to sprout. I must be crazy, but I find this all very exciting!

Will keep you posted.
brugs_bunny
Original Author
18 years ago
Thanks, hopefully it will bounce back!

Kathy
mollyzone5
18 years ago
This is first year for growing these.I have one in a five gallon bucket and some in the ground.The one in the bucket is the largest and I assume that its because of all the extra water it gets.I just love these plants.
TallFlowerinMI
18 years ago
It grows in a bucket? Hot Dang! I will try this next year!! Anyone else growing any they want to send pics of? Wish I had taken some of mine last year, cuz they were fab-U-Lus! Now I just have some little sprouts - but they look promising - as long as the bugs stop eating them!
TallFlowerinMI
18 years ago
Warning!! See this site regarding Ricin Cytotoxin derived from Castor bean. I guess I will stop putting those seed pods in my floral arrangements! http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/toxicagents/ricin/ricin.html