Castor-Oil Plant, Castorbean, Palma Christi, Wonder Tree, Castor Oil Plant
Ricinus communis
Family: Euphorbiaceae
What it is like
Bloom Color: Red. Main Bloom Time: Early fall, Late summer, Mid summer. Form: Upright or erect.
Ricinus communis is an evergreen Shrub growing to 1.5 m (5ft) by 1 m (3ft 3in) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 9 and is frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower from July to September, and the seeds ripen from September to November. The species is monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and is pollinated by Wind. The plant is self-fertile. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in heavy clay soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 1.5
Where it is found
Not known in a truly wild situation.
Africa? Original habitat is obscure. Naturalized in S. and S.C. Europe.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 1
The seed contains 35 - 55% of an edible oil, used in cooking. The seed is a rich source of phosphorus, 90% of which is in the phytic form. Some caution should be observed, see the notes above on toxicity
Oil: Oil
Medicine
Rating: 4
The oil from the seed is a very well-known laxative that has been widely used for over 2,000 years. It is considered to be fast, safe and gentle, prompting a bowel movement in 3 - 5 hours, and is recommended for both the very young and the aged. It is so effective that it is regularly used to clear the digestive tract in cases of poisoning. It should not be used in cases of chronic constipation, where it might deal with the symptoms but does not treat the cause. The flavour is somewhat unpleasant, however, and it can cause nausea in some people. The oil has a remarkable antidandruff effect. The oil is well-tolerated by the skin and so is sometimes used as a vehicle for medicinal and cosmetic preparations. Castor oil congeals to a gel-mass when the alcoholic solution is distilled in the presence of sodium salts of higher fatty acids. This gel is useful in the treatment of non-inflammatory skin diseases and is a good protective in cases of occupational eczema and dermatitis. The seed is anthelmintic, cathartic, emollient, laxative, purgative. It is rubbed on the temple to treat headache and is also powdered and applied to abscesses and various skin infections. The seed is used in Tibetan medicine, where it is considered to have an acrid, bitter and sweet taste with a heating potency. It is used in the treatment of indigestion and as a purgative. A decoction of the leaves and roots is antitussive, discutient and expectorant. The leaves are used as a poultice to relieve headaches and treat boils.
Anthelmintic: Expels parasites from the gut.
Antidandruff: Treats dandruff.
Antitussive: Prevents or relieves coughing.
Cathartic: A strong laxative but less violent than a purgative.
Eczema: Used in the treatment of eczema - a chronic health condition that affects the skin, causing redness, dryness, itching and infections.
Emollient: Softens the skin, causing warmth and moisture.
Expectorant: Clears phlegm from the chest by inducing coughing.
Laxative: Stimulates bowel movements in a fairly gentle manner.
Purgative: A drastic laxative causing a cleansing or watery evacuation of the bowels, usually with a griping pain.
Skin: Plants used in miscellaneous treatments for the skin.
Other
Rating: 0
The seed contains 35 - 55% of a drying oil. As well as being used in cooking, it is an ingredient of soaps, polishes, flypapers, paints and varnishes. It is also used as a lubricant and for lighting and as an ingredient in fuels for precision engines. The oil is used in coating fabrics and other protective coverings, in the manufacture of high-grade lubricants, transparent typewriter and printing inks, in textile dyeing (when converted into sulfonated Castor Oil or Turkey-Red Oil, for dyeing cotton fabrics with alizarine) and in the production of 'Rilson', a polyamide nylon-type fibre. The dehydrated oil is an excellent drying agent which compares favorably with tung oil and is used in paints and varnishes. The hydrogenated oil is utilized in the manufacture of waxes, polishes, carbon paper, candles and crayons. A fibre for making ropes is obtained from the stems. The growing plant is said to repel flies and mosquitoes. When grown in the garden it is said to rid it of moles and nibbling insects. The leaves have insecticidal properties. Cellulose from the stems is used for making cardboard, paper etc.
Fibre: Used for making cloth, rope, paper etc.
Fodder: Food given to the animals (including plants cut and carried to them) rather than forage for themselves.
Insecticide: Kills insects.
Oil: Vegetable oils have many uses, as lubricants, lighting, soap and paint making, waterproofing etc. This does not include the edible oils unless they are also mentioned as having other uses.
Repellent: Plants that are said to deter but not necessarily kill various mammals, birds, insects etc.
Agroforestry Services: Crop shade: Plants providing crop shade especially trees.
Agroforestry Services: Windbreak: Linear plantings of trees and shrubs designed to enhance crop production, protect people and livestock and benefit soil and water conservation.
Fodder: Insect: Plants grown for useful fodder insects.
Global Crop: These crops are already grown or traded around the world. The annual value of each is more than $1 billion US Examples include coconuts, almonds, and bananas.
Industrial Crop: Oil: Materials, chemicals and energy include bioplastics, biomass, glycerin, soaps, lubricants, paints, biodiesel. Oilseed crop types.
Industrial Crop: Wax: Water resistant, malleable substances. Currently, most commercial wax is made from paraffin - a fossil fuel.
Management: Standard: Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.
Other Systems: Multistrata: Multistrata agroforests feature multiple layers of trees often with herbaceous perennials, annual crops, and livestock.
Agroforestry Services: Crop shade: Plants providing crop shade especially trees.
Agroforestry Services: Windbreak: Linear plantings of trees and shrubs designed to enhance crop production, protect people and livestock and benefit soil and water conservation.
Fodder: Insect: Plants grown for useful fodder insects.
Global Crop: These crops are already grown or traded around the world. The annual value of each is more than $1 billion US Examples include coconuts, almonds, and bananas.
Industrial Crop: Oil: Materials, chemicals and energy include bioplastics, biomass, glycerin, soaps, lubricants, paints, biodiesel. Oilseed crop types.
Industrial Crop: Wax: Water resistant, malleable substances. Currently, most commercial wax is made from paraffin - a fossil fuel.
Management: Standard: Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.
Other Systems: Multistrata: Multistrata agroforests feature multiple layers of trees often with herbaceous perennials, annual crops, and livestock.
Carbon Farming: Plants that can be a critical part of the solution to climate problems. The Carbon Farming Solution - Eric Toensmeier.
How it is grown
Landscape Uses:Border, Container, Foundation, Massing, Seashore, Specimen, Woodland garden. Prefers a well-drained moisture retentive clay or sandy loam in full sun. Requires a rich soil and daytime temperatures above 20°c for the seedlings to grow well, though the seed may fail to set if temperatures rise above 38°C for an extended period. The plant requires 140 - 180 days of warm temperatures in the growing season in order to produce good crops of seed, and is readily killed by frost. The plant is reported to tolerate an annual precipitation in the range of 20 to 429cm, an annual temperature in the range of 7.0 to 27.8°C and a pH of 4.5 to 8.3. The castor-oil plant is a fast-growing shrub in the wild, reaching up to 12 metres in height, though it is much smaller when cultivated in the temperate zone. A very ornamental plant, although it is not winter hardy in Britain, it can be grown outdoors as an annual bedding plant for sub-tropical displays, and can flower and produce fruit in its first year in warm summers. It has been known to ripen a crop of seeds as far north as Christiana in Norway. Providing the plants water needs are met, yields of around 1 tonne per hectare have been achieved, with exceptional cases of up t 5 tonnes per hectare. It has a long history of cultivation as an oil-bearing and medicinal plant, having been grown in ancient Egypt. It is still widely cultivated for its seed in tropical and sub-tropical zones. There are many named varieties, some developed for ornamental use and others for oil production. Plants may need support in exposed areas. Special Features: Attractive foliage, Not North American native, All or parts of this plant are poisonous.
Propagating it: Seed - sow early spring in a warm greenhouse in individual pots. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out after the last expected frosts. The seeds retain their viability for 2 - 3 years.
Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds; South Wall. By. West Wall. By.
Habit: Shrub
Hardiness: 10-11
Growth: Fast
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Moist
Things to keep in mind
The whole plant is very poisonous, even one seed has been known to be lethal to children. The seedcoat contains an extremely lethal poison that was once used by the KGB to dispose of their enemies. The leaves are only mildly poisonous. The toxic principle is water-soluble so is not found in the oil. Abdominal discomfort, cramping, nausea, loss of fluid and electrolytes. Possible allergens present. Do not use during pregnancy as may induce premature labour and miscarriage .
Its other names
Local names
Synonyms
Cataputia major. Cataputia minor. Ricinus africanus. Croton spinosus.