Castor Beans

In the front left corner of my bird and butterfly garden at Buffalo Feathers Farm, are some castor beans that I planted this spring.  They are native to tropical east Africa around Ethiopia and actually research indicates enslaved Africans and their descendants commonly used castor oil as a laxative and as a general tonic for treating illnesses. The oil has also been applied externally to ease inflammation due to arthritis and rheumatism. The seeds contain ricin, a highly toxic substance that can be lethal to humans and animals in today’s world.  Castor bean plants can get up to eight to ten feet tall and keep deer at bay.   Currently, mine are probably over eight feet tall.