Castor beans aren’t true beans but are members of the Euphorbia family and a cousin of poinsettias. Their showy leaves and red spiky flower pods make a bold garden accent. But each seed hides a secret: containing one of nature’s deadliest poisons known as ricin. But processed castor oil is harmless and long valued in medicine and used as a lubricant oil. Castor Beans have developed a mutual relationship with ants who eat a sugary nodule on the seed tip. The ants distribute the beans far and wide. Castor Beans combine beauty, danger, and biology in one.
Growing Home - Castor Beans
