Ricin and RCA

One of the more impressive summer garden plants you can grow is the castor bean plant. It reaches great heights and produces showy pods of large seeds. The seeds, however, are the source of the toxins ricin and RCA, which have been used as chemical weapons, among other things. Does this mean you want to avoid growing the castor bean plant in your garden? Personally, I think it's a nice plant. As with all poisonous species, you would probably want to avoid the castor plant if you have children who might try to eat the beans. Otherwise, the toxin poses little or no risk, and biodegrades readily. Learn about ricin and RCA...