While living in Calexico, CA, in the Sonoran desert, I had a friend that had a very exotic looking plant in his backyard - wanted same. Learned that it was a castor bean plant, took some seeds and planted in my yard. Later yielded many, many seeds. It that area my first plant grew over nine feet, was more beautiful the first year but always nice. No frost, lasted forever. The following is from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention: Has anyone ever died after being exposed to ricin? "Yes, several deaths have resulted after a victim was injected with ricin. People have been poisoned with ricin after eating castor beans, but most cases of eating castor beans do not result in poisoning, because it is difficult to release the ricin from castor beans. Also, ricin is not as well absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract when compared to injection or inhalation." Am not that worried about the swallowing of castor beans but would be careful around children. Have you ever seen a report of a person dying as a result of ingesting a castor bean? Neither have I. I brought some beans with me to WA, couldn't find them so purchased some on the Internet. No luck so far in starting these. Every bean I planted in southern CA sprouted. Someone asked why plant these? They are a very attractive tropical looking plant. Many plants are poisonous, even the Washington state flower - the rhododendron. The oleander growing en-mass in freeway dividers, etc., in southern CA. Take care...

Last year I soaked castor bean seeds for 72 hours. They all rotted. This year I soaked for them only one hour in water laced with fungicide. Then into pots 1 to 1 1/2 inches deep. For grins & giggles I put four of them into clear plastic cups that had bottom holes, placing the seed on the sides of the cups for viewing. Onto a heat mat. Within three days they were rooting - huge roots winding their way down, branching magnificently, well before any sign of top growth. The top growth probably took 10 days. Four other pots which I had no room for on the heat mat still haven't rooted, a month later. Two days ago I just put them on the mat with some pumpkin seeds. We shall see if they will grow with heat, or if they rotted during the past month while they just SAT.

I too would like to know how and when to safely transplant young castor bean plants that I am starting from seeds from last year's plant. I have soaked and planted 8 seeds in one large pot. Also...can I harvest the pods before they burst so I don't have to look for them all over the place? If so when do I know its time before they burst? I would like to put them in a plastic bag so they will burst in there. Lastly....how long can I keep the seeds? I still have many seeds left from last year and would like to save them. Thanks Terri

steve, i have tropicana for your root beer plant.plmk...cliff