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Castor bean is a spectacular plant from the Euphorbium or Euphorbiaceae family, popularly known as Siberian palm, Turkish hemp or ricinum. The oil contained in its seeds and stems has long been used for making medicines, refilling lamps and tanning hides and is now successfully used in the leather, paint and varnish, textile, soap and perfume industries. A detailed description and photo of castor bean will help you choose a species or variety for your site.
Description and characteristics of castor beans
Wild species are found in Africa, India, China, Brazil and Argentina. In subtropical and tropical climates, evergreen shrubs live up to ten years and grow up to 10 m in height.
In Russian latitudes, castor beans are cultivated as an annual plant; they grow to a maximum height of 2-3 m
According to the botanical description, the castor bean is a monoecious plant with a branched trunk and a tap root system. The main root penetrates into the deep layers of the soil and has 3-6 large first-order branches. The rest are located in the arable layer at a depth not exceeding 30 cm.
The description of castor bean indicates that its powerful, hollow, geniculate, woody stem at the base is purple or reddish-brown.
Numerous palmately cut large leaves grow up to 30-80 cm in diameter and are supported on petioles 20-60 cm long
All leaves, except the two lower ones, which are opposite, are alternately arranged. The deeply dissected leaf blades consist of 7-11 oblong-toothed lobes with a pronounced central vein and can be solid or striped in color.
Unisexual, inconspicuous flowers are collected in racemes 30-50 cm long, located in the axils of the leaves, on the lateral branches and ends of the stem. Pistillates are usually found in the upper part of the inflorescence, staminates - in the lower part.
A simple, three- or five-parted perianth is colored differently in different forms and varieties
Pistil with a short tripartite column. Numerous stamens form multiply branched bundles. Each castor bean flower, a photo and description of which is in any botanical reference book, can include up to 1000 anthers. Flowering is wavy - flowers forming central clusters bloom in June or July, lateral ones - in August.
In the description of castor bean it is noted that it has unusual fruits in the form of dry three-seeded tricuspid spherical or oblong large boxes.They grow to 10-35 mm in diameter and are either bare or covered with spines. Unripe fruits have a lumpy, wrinkled or smooth surface and are purple, red, pink, yellow or green.
The boxes are non-cracking and cracking
Judging by the photo of the plant and its description, castor bean has large, smooth, shiny seeds of a round-elliptical or ovoid shape. On the ventral side they are flattened, on the dorsal side they are convex. The color of the seeds is variegated, in which there is a light brown, pink, pale gray or white mosaic on a dark or light red, brown, bluish-gray or gray background.
Where does castor oil grow in Russia?
Castor bean grows in Transcaucasia, the Lower Volga region and the North Caucasus. The plant is successfully grown as a medicinal and oilseed crop. It is also planted as a large-sized decorative fast-growing annual.
Types of castor beans
According to the description, the common castor bean is the only representative of the Castor bean genus. Moreover, it is represented by many varieties and species, among which there are both annual and perennial shrubs.
Castor bean
A three-meter shrub with strong branched purple, green or pinkish shoots that look like ribbed hollow tubes. According to the description, castor bean has large petiolate leaves of a palmate shape, consisting of 5-7 lobes and growing up to 30-80 cm in width.Its flowering, during which dense clusters bloom, occurs in the summer and is accompanied by the appearance of small, inconspicuous flowers. The process ends with the maturation of thin-skinned spherical seed pods covered with spines.
Inside each of the boxes there are three sections filled with large spotted seeds, similar to beans.
Castor bean plant
A bush with a red trunk and large carved glossy green leaves. The description of castor bean plant states that it can grow up to 3 m.
Thanks to its thick trunk with a diameter of up to 15 cm, the plant is called a garden palm.
Castor bean Zanzibar
A fast-growing annual, growing up to 2 m in height, with carved bright burgundy leaves. It blooms with spectacular racemose inflorescences, from which needle-shaped round fruits are subsequently formed.
In the description of Zanzibar castor bean it is noted that it is suitable for creating large garden compositions.
Due to its external resemblance to a rare tropical plant, it is usually planted as a tapeworm
Indian castor bean
The low bush has an almost black trunk and carved, very dark leaves. It looks impressive next to other varieties.
The Indian species grows to a maximum of 1.2 m
Gibson castor bean
A beautiful low-growing bush up to 1.5 m high has carved, dark green leaves decorated with burgundy veins. By the end of summer, the plates acquire a metallic sheen.
Gibson's leaf blades look a bit like stars
Castor bean varieties with photos and names
The castor bean species includes many varieties, many of which are successfully used in landscape design. In Russia, mainly low-growing annuals are grown.
Impala bronze
A fast-growing ornamental bush with a maximum height of 1.2 m has branched, erect stems and carved palmate leaves, painted in green and bronze-red tones. The description of castor bean of this variety states that during the flowering process, bright red flowers appear on it, collected in dense clusters.
Impala bronze grows well in well-lit areas and can tolerate short droughts
New Zealand Purple
A low-growing shrub with high decorative properties, it has large dark purple carved leaves and a massive burgundy stem. It is often planted near houses, gazebos and fountains in small groups of several bushes.
Purple variety is considered one of the most decorative
Carmencita
The most spectacular and unusual variety with beautiful red shoots and original carved leaves, painted in a red-burgundy hue. The variety belongs to the fast-growing category and by mid-summer the height of the bush reaches 1.5 m.
Judging by the description, the castor bean Carmensita during flowering is covered with lush inflorescences of a pink-green hue
Northern palm
An annual woody plant up to 2 m high, it has beautiful leaves 30 cm wide. It blooms with small, inconspicuous flowers collected in inflorescences up to 30 cm long.
The northern palm looks impressive as a tapeworm and is used for landscaping front gardens and plots
Serenade
Ornamental plant with dark purple leaves and oblong lilac boxes. According to the description of the castor bean Serenada, its plates and branches are covered with a light waxy coating. The variety has high decorative properties and is propagated by seedlings.Serenada seedlings are planted in open ground no earlier than the ground warms up to +15 0C. The bushes require a lot of space, so they are placed further away from each other.
Before the formation of buds, plants are fertilized with mineral fertilizers
Cossack woman
Two-meter bushes with brown-red stems and carved dark purple leaves. Over time, the plant's plates become dark green with reddish central veins. According to the description, the Cossack castor bean blooms with small blood-red flowers, and its seeds ripen in elegant purple boxes. Bushes are planted along the fence or wall of the house. Castor bean Cossack is often used when decorating multi-tiered flower beds as a background for other plants.
The Kazachka variety loves warm, well-lit areas and grows well in fertile soils
Zanzibar Green
An ornamental plant from the Malvaceae family is characterized by rapid growth and reaches 2.5 m in height. It has large, bright green leaves that contrast with the reddish stems.
During the flowering period, Zanzibar Green forms dense racemose inflorescences of red color
Photo of castor bean in the landscape design of a summer cottage
The crop can be grown in the country, in the garden and on plots. It looks impressive in single and group plantings. From numerous photos of castor beans in the country, it is clear that the plant does not really need companions. Surrounded by large trees, it loses some of its decorative properties.
Due to the lack of the expected effect, it is extremely rarely used to create mixed groups with tall species
Castor bean looks harmonious surrounded by low crops and flowers.It combines especially well with perennial asters, echinacea, rudbeckia, cosmos bipinnate, large-flowered marigolds, phlox, hollyhocks, daylilies and low-growing dahlias.
Green varieties harmonize well with variegated flowers
From the photo of the castor bean plant at the dacha, it is clearly visible that it looks impressive in the center of the composition. But due to its spreading crown, only shade-tolerant crops can be its neighbors.
Red forms of castor beans look organic next to large rose bushes
Castor beans are often used as a high living border when decorating paths to a recreation area or home. But when implementing this design idea, it is important to be absolutely sure that no one will want to smell the flowers, touch the carved leaves or taste the fruits of an exotic annual.
Castor beans are used to decorate recreation areas in a rustic, Indian or Moorish style.
Ceramic and pottery products, stylized in antique style, look harmonious next to it.
The castor bean plant near the entrance area looks impressive. It is often used to decorate patio-style courtyards. A plant can be used to decorate the utility part of the yard or to zone a large space, dividing it into small, cozy zones.
Culture will camouflage ugly sheds well and hide unaesthetic technical communications
When decorating a site in the Japanese style, castor beans can be used as a natural frame for a dry stream, wooden garden furniture and an artificial pond.
Some plant varieties with a tall trunk and spreading large leaves visually resemble a palm tree
Tall varieties look impressive as tapeworms against the background of some kind of fence.
Species diversity and a wide palette of foliage shades allow the use of castor beans in landscape compositions and group plantings
The culture looks impressive surrounded by ornamental shrubs and many flowers. In mixborders, it is recommended to place castor bean in the background so that its large spreading leaves do not cover other plants.
It is not advisable to plant a tall exotic shrub next to tall trees, otherwise it will suffer from a lack of sunlight
Conclusion
Although a description and photo of castor bean can be found in any botanical reference book, many inexperienced gardeners plant an exotic perennial on the site without studying its characteristics. Such carelessness can be dangerous if the family has small children or pets who mindlessly taste everything that seems edible. The description of castor beans emphasizes that its seeds contain ricin, which, when ingested, causes severe vomiting, colic and gastrointestinal bleeding.
