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One thing that bothers me about prohibiting plants is how misinformed people are about their properties. Another is how selective the bans are. For example, in some places it is illegal to buy the alcoholic beverage absinthe, which contains the chemical compound thujone. The wormwood plant from which the thujone is derived is illegal in some places. However, vermouth is another alcoholic beverage flavored with the same plant, yet it never came under fire, nor have the culinary herbs thyme and tarragon, which both contain thujone.
Another plant with a bad reputation is the castor bean plant, Ricinus communis. This plant has had economic importance pretty much since the dawn of civilized time, yet because it can be used to prepare a toxin (ricin), there are people who think it should be made illegal (and in some places it is). The honest truth is, many common garden plants are toxic or have pharmacological properties. If we were to prohibit every plant that could poison you, your spring garden would be devoid of daffodils, rhododendrons, wisteria, jasmine, lantana, azaleas, crocuses, hyacinths, foxglove... you get the picture... many plants.
Today's photo is a castor bean seedling, which is desirable in my garden for a few reasons. It grows very quickly, reaching up to 15' in height by the end of summer if I take good care of it. The leaves are attractive and unusual. It contains alkaloids that deter most garden pests, plus if it is strategically planted, helps to protect the rest of my garden from pests. Could eating it kill me, my kids, or my pets? That's highly unlikely. It turns out it's difficult for people to poison themselves with castor beans even if they try. Wisteria, in contrast, is in no danger of being banned (that I know of), yet has been known to poison children.
Ricin & RCA Toxins | Natural Mosquito Repellents
Photo: The castor bean plant can be a beautiful, trouble-free addition to your garden. (Anne Helmenstine)
Comments
If castor bean plants, which contain ricin, are not much of a threat, as you say, then why do you author an article about ricin itself that seems to say the opposite?
I was originally trying to determine if this plant in my garden was a papaya, but it looks as though it is definitely a castor bean. I doubt I will let it grow, since I have two small children.
Nathan,
Many flowering garden plants are toxic. I have kids and pets, yet I still have rhododendrons and daffodils in my garden. Why? Because they are beautiful and pest-free (largely thanks to their natural toxins). They don’t pose a threat to the family.
Biting into a castor plant isn’t a lethal experience; neither is swallowing a castor bean. Ricin is a purified poison, not the plant itself.
Let me put it another way. Aflatoxin is another potent poison. You can get it from strawberries, peanut butter, and black pepper (actually from the molds that grow on these foods). Do I let me kids eat strawberries? Yes.
My yard is plagued with moles/voles but I don’t want to use chemicals as I have a new puppy. The underground spikes are kind of expensive. My neighbor told me to plant a Castor plant as they keep away moles. Is this true? Are they safe if my puppy munched on a leaf/stem?
I have been trying for some time to promote the Castor Plant as a viable means of generating income for low tech agriculture in otherwise unfarmable regions. I believe that the “James Bond-y aura” promoted for Ricin are daft. Ricin stays in the seed cake it is not present in the oil. Ricin is killed by steam and so cake could be detoxifoied and used as an amimal feed if needed – it makes a good fertilsaer otherwise.
The plant is reasonably drought resistant and grows (around here – South Africa) as aweed. It is bug and mould resistant and so is environmentally beneficial. I belive that it is growen as a hedge in south America as an insect deterrant. The leaves and seeds are not bothered by local livestock (goats). The plant offers a very valuble oil source allowing plastic (nylon) to be produced from a renewable source (carbon fixer). Oil used in industry for many products – has a premium price. Is a potential source of Bio-diesel (price permitting). Leaves can be dried and used a biofriendly bug reppelant. Stalks have a long fibre and make excellent paper. It is a reennial and so the roots just go on. I have not yet established a use for the smell.
I am a technician in Nairobi,Kenya.I have a plantation of these castor seeds i want to extract oil for biodiesel production.Now that i know ricin is lethal,please advise me how i can treat the oilcake to make it non poisonous to human and animals. I intend to use the oilcake as a fertilizer.
Thank you.
i dont think u understand how poisonous this plant is. 3 beans kill a child, 6 beans kill an adult. The bean itself is 50% oil 3% ricin. 70 mg of ricin will kill you.
If you have kids dont plant this.
assuming that your children will open those pods, i know that my children hate those pods! they are “too pokey!! why do you plant them mommy!!!???” so why do you think your children even would eat them? i always let my kids know that these {what ever they are} will hurt them and let them feel the pods. they never touch the pods again. of course when they touch the pods they are dry and do poke a bit. but they will always remember not to touch and they will always know!
Castor beans killed my dog. She chewed on some seeds (I don’t know how many) and began throwing up several hours later. After apparently getting better, the next day there was more throwing up, lack of appetite and lethargy. Excess urination followed, and two days later, death from organ failure.
These plants are poisonous.
I may be incorrect, but my research of the said plant, Castor Bean, has shown that as little as four seeds could prove fatal for a 160 lb man. Granted, the results of an ingested Castor Bean seed would also depend on many factors such as size (weight and height), health (organ function, etc.), and much more. Typically, it does seem to be tempting fate to plant any questioned plant in a garden where your children play. However, there are fewer cases of accidental ingestion vs. intentional poisoning.
My dad has a 75 acre ranch and we have vineyards and my moms garden. We have planted castor bean plants in certain places to keep squirrels, gophers and moles from the area. Castor bean works like a charm. Not dangerous to humans both large or small. My dad has 2 dogs and they are always wondering around them. No problems there. So yes, I beleive it is ok to plant them. Just beware that they grow very quickly and if you don’t want alot keep an eye on the seedlings. You must remove them before they pop new ones.
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1009200-overview
The link is to an article about castor bean poisoning, written by an emergency medicine doctor.
Exerpt:
“Mortality/Morbidity
Fatalities have occasionally been reported following ingestion of chewed castor beans. Chewing and swallowing as little as 1 bean may produce death in a child; however, swallowing an intact bean without chewing is unlikely to cause serious sequelae.”
I saw this plant for the first time today at a friend’s home; a couple were planted around her compost pile. I had no idea what it was and asked if it was safe for her 2 year old granddaughter to go near it. She said no of course – glad I asked since I was the one in charge of watching her at the time. The child was totally fascinated with it and tried to grab at the bean pods. I can’t believe my friend has these in her yard. Why take the chance?
Oh – and don’t assume that the prickly pod is a total deterrent to kids. This two year old was later stomping on prickly chestnut shells with her boots, trying to open them to see what was inside. What would stop an older unattended child from doing that with the castor bean pod?
Castor oil is pressed from the seeds. The remaining pulp is referred to under various names, such as “oil cake” “castor cake,” etcetera. India and China are major exporters, The “cake” is high in nitrogen. It has, and still is being used as a ‘natural fertlizer” or ‘organic fertlizer.” The “cake” is not necessarily described in the ingredients. The conatiner may just say “!00% Organic Fertlizer” – which it is. I bought a bag on end-of-season sale and applied one half “100% Organic Lawn Fertilizer” on my front lawn last Fall. There was nothing to indicate “castor cake” was in it. This spring I mixed the rest with peat moss and soil, and over seeded the lawn in my fenced in yard, where my two beuatiful labdradors play. I didn’t keep the bag. The store which sold it tome is denying they did. I do not have the receipt. And the problem? One of my dogs ate some of the soil. We couldn’t find out what was arong with her. It took her three months to die and it was horrible for her and us. All of her internal organs degenerated. We had no idea until the autopsy. All organic fertlizers are now illegal in Quebec and Ontario. Too late for my beautiful dog. Yes, castor oil is safe , yes it is pressed from the seeds. BUT, the oil then undergoes a special heat treatment to remove the ricin toxin. Remember:Organic merely means it contains carbon molecules; it should not be confused with saftey.
The entire plant is poisonous: it must not be composted, it must not be burned. (The leaves were once used as gopher-mole poison and still are in France.)
Ok I have a question I hope someone can answer ,, I grew several caster bean plants about the garden to keep out moles . I have a lot of them . This fall I put them thru the chipper shredder and then put the plant materiel into the garden rows and planted the fall garden .. We live in the south and grow cabbage ,carrots, beets ect in the winter .. So do I have to worry about the toxicity being taken up by the plants or not .. is my garden going to make me sick ?? I can`t seem to find info on this on the net . There were no seeds I removed them for next year , but the plants were quite large about 15 ft. so a lot of plant matter was used in a 20 by 70 foot garden .. Please answer only if your sure no guessing .. Been eating lettuce and radish already .. Merlyn
6 – 8 seeds broken or crewed up, If ingested, symptoms may be delayed by up to 36 hours but commonly begin within 2–4 hours. These include a burning sensation in mouth and throat, abdominal pain, purging and bloody diarrhea. Within several days there is severe dehydration, a drop in blood pressure and a decrease in urine. Unless treated, death can be expected to occur within 3–5 days with organ from shock and/or organ failure.
I’m not sure who indicated here, that these planets or the seeds of these plants are not toxic, but who ever they are is providing false information. These seeds are listed as the most dangerous of all. I would never have them in my garden, house or otherwise.
You people are being ridiculous. Don’t leave your children and pets ‘unattended’ ever anyway. That fact alone should have nothing to do with the castor bean plant. How many of you people take vitamins, minerals, supplements from GNC, The Vitamin Shoppe, prescription medications (aka penicillian, and many many others)? Answer: ALL of you do, and guess where they come from?
You are all being ridiculous. If you had it your way, eventually we wouldn’t have any plants at all. And think how many properties of plants, flowers etc. have yet to be discovered to cure diseases.
Please ‘think’ people first and just use plain common sense. You are all creating hysteria over nothing.
MY “plain common sense” tells me that whatever you can eat 6-8 seeds the size of tic-tacs of and die in agonizing death doesn’t belong in a yard where kids play. You must be coming from the Steve “I dangle babies in front of crocodiles” Irwin common sense school.
But leaving that aside, “people” need to cut back on “Common sense” which is uncommon and makes no sense, and start actually using logic. Logic for example, tells me it’s bloody ridiculous to imply plant extracts are all innocuous because some extracts are. Cocaine hydrochloride and nicotine sulfate are both plant extracts, if you’re saying those are harmless because they’re plant extracts, well… oh wow.
The bottom line is this: If you plant them as a form of pest control or in some form of commercial capacity, by all means, go ahead.
IF YOU HAVE KIDS OR PETS THAT YOU CONSIDER LIKELY TO EAT OR CHEW CASTOR BEANS, DON’T PLANT A CASTOR BEAN PLANT ON YOUR YARD. HAVE SOME RESPECT FOR THE PLANT’S CAPACITY TO KILL YOU.
I purchased seeds from a seed catalogue they were supposed to be baobab seeds.they all germinate into castor plants.wow is this dangerous or what
castor oil seeds are only dangerous when ingested. In Jamaica some people take half seed as a laxative we have trees everywhere and children play around them children play on them and we have no problems so far
I can’t believe anyone would ever take a chance and grow these awful plants in a yard that children and pets play in.
It sickens me to think that a parent would plant something that could potentially kill their child. What is wrong with you people/
alexis grow up………….almost all plants, animals and insects some form of toxin in them. as stated in an earlier post, even strawberries!!!…………..the only way a child can get seeds into his mouth and start chewing them is if you let the child do so…………its like common house hold products, dont leave the child around the toilet bowl cleaner, same principle…………grow the beautiful plant and enjoy it and dont let your kid eat the seeds……….nothing wrong with anyone growing them…….i have a giant one growing inside my store. if your child puts anything in its mouth its potential for disaster regardless if its a candy, a castor bean seed, or a toy, so dont be bashing people for growing these plants
I can’t believe anyone would ever allow their kids to ride in cars or otherwise let a child or an pet anywhere near one. Cars kill people left and right, far more than all toxic plants put together. Do you let your kids ride in a car or walk to school on a public street alexis?
I have been planting castor beans for years and I have never had any problems with them, I had never seen one time a child or grandchild even go near them. They r pretty plant s, I have over 200 planted now in my yard and not counting what I will be putting in my 100/200 back yard. Next year I believe I will start the plants and sell them. They are a hit in my yard now I have the whole neighbor hood planting them. My yard always looks great when I plant castor beans!
Ann Marie thank you for your infomation on the Castor Bean Plant, I too planted it because of the carefree and beauty it added to my garden. But later hearing that it could be fatal to animals I was worried and wanted it removed, but now I am comforted after reading your article and will plant it again next year. To add beauty and amaze my friends. Thanks again Leslie
Ann Marie, thanks, great article. I just want to add my two cents worth to folks who are saying it’s irresponsible to grow poisonous plants. I have been growing this for several months for it’s beauty. I have a small dog and grandkids. I keep it in an area inaccessible to both. Most plants contain some form of toxin. Deadly nightshade is in the same family Solanaceae, as potatoes,tomatoes and eggplant. Almost everything can be dangerous, it would be be impossible to keep your garden toxin free. As you point out, the mold on strawberries is dangerous too. A little common sense goes a long way, no point in throwing out the baby with the bath water, as they say.
We are running a castor project in several location in Kenya. castor can provide immense benefits to local communities. Kenyan indiginous people have used castor for various applications for years and its poisonous angle has hardly been an issue as the usage is not for edible purposes.
I would request John Mburu (who posted previous comment from kenya) to contact us at protos@multilink-kenya.com and we can give him some viable advice on how to use his existing castor plants.
The fact that castor toxin was rated highly toxic should not translate to banning or discouraging its plantation. Phytoxins are known to present in virtually ALL plants! They are primarily to secure the plant from invaders. It is a known fact that the valuables are intensively guarded. How can I describe the benefits that acrues from castor! Over 700 uses were reported ranging from cosmetic, lubricants, fuel, medicine, agricultural uses to biodiesel production. The so call toxin ‘ricin’ has also recently attracted serious attention in production of immunotoxin that handles cancer and HIV virus.