Looking for Castor Bean Seeds

[flowoxsgarden]

I have some Angel Trumpet and Firecracker Vine seeds to trade. Red or Green Castor Bean seeds, doesn't matter.

If you don't have Castor bean seeds but are dying to get some Angel Trumpet seeds (yellowish tint) then make me an offer with something, you never know ;)

[goldpearl]

I have Castor Bean seeds, not sure what color. I got them from a neighbor and don't remember. Just to be sure you know, the seeds and pods are poisonous so make sure children know to leave them alone. I would use gloves even when handling them. I am guessing that is why the plants are so useful in repelling varmints.
I would enjoy some of your vine seeds. Are they okay for zone 7? I have no trouble growing trumpet vines here, yours sound similar. They sound very pretty. Any growing information would be great. Thank you.
I am also looking for more heirloom tomatos. I don't have any yellow, orange or paste types yet and I am interested in anything I don't have already. Anyone wanting to trade tomato seed, let me know. :)

[Pickled_Melon]

our site sponsor has castor beans. my package was filled with red and brown seeds. they grew well and flower nicely. don't keep bees if there's any of this near by, though. :rolleyes:

[goldpearl]

Why do you not want Castor Bean if you are keeping bees. My neighbor has the Castor Bean plants and I have been thinking about getting some bees, possibly next year. I would like to hear what the reason might be. Thanks.

[Pickled_Melon]

the oils that make the beans toxic are also in the flowers, but not as strong. the bees will die. if they manage to make honey out of it before they die the honey most likely will be poisonous. even in florida it's basically illegal to raise castor beans except in special circumstances: it's considered something like 'weaponsmithing without a license'. or there's a weird thing like 'you can have the plant but cannot share the beans'. it's just a good plant to stay away from.

the week after i ordered my seeds there were fbi guys all over the place. the state told me i could have the plants but they would not let me harvest and /or keep the seeds. neighbors pets, your own pets. kids. swimming pools collect pollen like you wouldn't believe and can extract the toxins and keep them in your pool. even the pollen is toxic. and can be deadly to a human in large concentrations in a dry year.

it's a pretty plant but let someone else take the heat for upkeep.

[goldpearl]

Wow. Interesting stuff. I think most people want Castor Beans plants because they are supposed to repel moles around the garden. If they kill bees, then that practice seems pretty foolish. There must be a better way to deal with critter problems.
I had no idea it was illegal to trade these seeds. Amazing that the FBI was tracking orders but its still okay to sell the seeds? Do the seed companys have to report on anyone ordering them? Thanks, I think I will think again about the bees and the Castor Beans.

[Pickled_Melon]

i'm not sure wheather the seeds are tracked or if they report the order. with pretty much everything being electronically controlled these days it's pretty easy for 'big brother' to keep an eye out for potential problems. there are ranchers in central florida who recieve an annual stipend to monitor the castor bean 'volunteers' that appear on thier ranches for the florida forestry dept. ffd is interested in how they spread such a great distance from thier origins naturally while being so toxic. the pack i ordered was so toxic as to tingle in my hands through the packaging. funny thing is once you plant them you pretty much have to leave'em because they're a protected species in florida.

[gottagardyn]

Well amazing!
And all this time I thought they were just decorative plants....they have them all over the City Park here....along with Angel Trumpets and Brugumisia too...and all of those are poisonous as all get out-but pretty tho.... :eek:

[tashak]

When I was a kid, my grandparents got a place in Florida that came with a castor bean plant. Grandma warned me to keep away from it, not touch it or any of the beans.
Castor beans are poisonous to pets, too. Be warned, especially if you or nearby neighbors have pets or children.

[Nimrod]

Wow.. Learning alot here about Castor Beans.... I just got a fresh start of seed for next year and an going to plant them close to my huge Cannas and jumbo Sunflower plants... They ought to blend in well together and can you imagine the height of all these plants together? I was thinking about a couple of bee hives later on,, Now that I read the piece about the honey and the castor pollen,, Mmmmm not sure!

[Pharmerphil]

Hmmm, I have purchased seeds with no problems, it's the substance RICIN that they are concerned with that these seeds contain.

[TennOC]

If you want to enjoy the plant, but not have pollen, all you have to do is re-order your seed each year, and cut the flower clusters off as they appear. There's only a few on each plant, you cut one little stem and eliminate 10 flowers all at once.

[tabitha]

i have to say i am pretty skeptical about this entire subject. and i am not usually a skeptic.

while i will agree that castor beans are poison, i find it very hard to believe that they kill bees or make honey toxic. castor plants are grown all over the world for the oil. and having castor about the garden is traditional.

i know that there is some little scare in the news about the poison RICIN. but i also find it hard to believe that the FBI is tracking orders on seeds. castor, once again, is grown all over the world.

many plants, as someone wrote, are deadly poison. the fbi isnt going to show up if i plant foxglove, or datura, or hemolock, or deadly nightshade, or castor beans.

i have small children, though, who will totally be informed of what is and isnt safe to taste. but that is my job anyway, castor beans or not!

tabitha

[schuyler gardener]

I am going to agree with the last poster. Several statements that I have read in this thread are incredible. I am not looking to provoke an argument, but I think someone has been having some fun at other posters expense.

I grew up in Sarasota. My memories of a 15-20' line of castor beans growing peacefully beside some beehives are still clear. The bees didn't suffer from castor beans growing beside them. No one ever experienced any illness from eating the honey. If anyone will substantiate claims that castor bean pollen is harmful to bees with a link to some evidence that will support that claim, then I will consider it.

A poster has stated that castor beans are protected in Fla. I found this really hard to swallow as every time I go home to visit my parents I see them growing everywhere. I googled the plants protected in Florida where I was able to check on the protected status of Ricinus Communis. This specie isn't protected anywhere in the US, but the Florida Dept. of Forestry does list this plant as invasive.

I would encourage everyone not to regard my two cents worth as the definitive source on castor bean growing. If there isn't any risk of kids and pets eating the seeds at your place you may find this a rewarding addition to your garden.

[Cherokee-rose]

:o I have some Castor beans to trade for the seeds you have.

[zebraman]

Hey Guys;Here in CA. Caster Bean grows in EVERY vacant lot.Catalogs that carry Caster always say "Cannot ship to CA." The reason why there are alot of restrictions now is because the Bio-weapon "Ricin" is made from Caster Beans.