Q: A friend of mine gave me some seeds of castor bean. I understand the plant is very poisonous but it is beautiful and I would like to grow it. Someone else told me it might be illegal to grow. Your ...

Heat makes some things grow like crazy. Ive been watching this thing grow. I turn my back on it, I swear it scoots up another inch or so. And the leaves. They look as if theyd fit right in the days of ...

Castor bean plants (Ricinus ommunis) are easy to grow from seed when provided with sun and moist, loamy soil. The seeds produce a vibrant plant with large, star-shaped foliage that can grow up to 10 ...

In 1978, a Bulgarian dissident died after KGB assassins jabbed him in the leg with an umbrella containing a poison pellet on a London street. Fast-forward to February 2003, when former Secretary of ...

Q. This plant came up in my yard as a volunteer. Can you tell me what it might be? I would love to have a few of them. It is beautiful. The leaves are about 12-14 inches wide and the plant about 4-5 ...

Of the many plants in my garden, one that I particularly appreciate is the Castor Bean, because of its several interesting characteristics. This plant, known botanically as Ricinus communis, is a ...

Q. I have a place in my backyard where I would like the color and texture of castor beans, but I have dogs and I hear that the seeds are highly poisonous. Can they be clipped off before they mature ...

Q: I listen to you on the radio and enjoy it very much. I thought you’d be interested in this picture of my dad, Ed Tupa’s, castor bean plant. — Mike Tupa. A: Thanks, Mike, for the great photo of a ...