Castor bean
Ricinus communis
HighPlacenta
Fast biomass
A dramatic, lightning-fast pioneer that pumps out biomass for quick mulch and shade, then gets cut back and regrown. Its seeds are deadly poisonous — keep it well away from kids and livestock.
Tolerances & traits
- Strata
- High
- Lifecycle
- Placenta
- Soil preference
- Loam, Sandy
- Soil pH range
- 5.5 – 7.5
- Min. temperature
- 0°C
- Min. rainfall
- 400 mm/year
- Wind tolerance
- Low
- Frost tolerance
- Low
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Irrigation needed
- Medium
How to manage it
Very fast biomass pioneer, often grown as a cut-back annual for rapid mulch and quick shade; chop-and-drop before seed set to limit spread.
Watch out for
All parts, especially seeds, contain ricin and are extremely toxic/potentially lethal to humans and livestock - never plant near children or grazing animals. Self-seeds readily and is invasive/weedy in warm, frost-free climates.
Design your line to see how your land fits Castor bean.
Start designing your line →Related species