Choosing the best varieties of castor bean for your garden
Castor oil plant is an ornamental evergreen perennial plant that belongs to the Euphorbia family. Many gardeners and flower growers use it as a decoration for front gardens, flower beds and a yard. It looks like a palm tree - just as large with spreading branches and carved leaves.
Read also the article: meadowsweet - a beautiful plant!
Botanical description
Castor oil plant is a sprawling, fast-growing shrub that reaches a height of 2 to 10 meters. Under natural conditions, it can grow for 2-5 years, during which it constantly pleases with its large size and decorative foliage. In temperate climates, castor bean is grown as an annual plant.
Castor oil plant has the following characteristic features:
- During the season, the flower grows 3 meters in height, and sometimes even higher.
- In the process of growth, strong branched shoots are formed, which look like hollow tubes with a ribbed surface.
- The shoots of the flower can be covered with a skin with a pinkish, green or purple tint. Additionally, there may be a bloom with a bluish color.
- The plant has large petioled foliage that grows in succession. On average, the length of one petiole reaches 20-60 cm.
- The leaf has a deeply cut finger-like shape and has 5-7 lobes.
- In width, leaf plates reach 30-80 cm.
Flowering begins in the summer. At this time, dense brushes open, on which inconspicuous small flowers appear. Each inflorescence contains female and male buds with a white and cream shade.
A lush bunch is formed from the numerous stamens, which gives the inflorescence splendor. The female flowers have three separate stigmas, which can be crimson, yellow and red in color.
After flowering takes place, maturation of globular seed pods occurs. They have a coating of thin skin and sharp thorns. The average diameter of the fruit is 3 cm. Its inner part is divided into 3 sections, each with large seeds with a spotted structure, they look like beans.
Stunted species
When considering the varieties of castor oil plants, you should pay attention to the undersized varieties. They are ideal for growing in a garden or vegetable garden. They are also often used in the field of landscape design to decorate flower beds.
A low-growing castor oil plant, varieties of which are suitable for planting in local climates, will be a great addition to your front garden or yard. She does not grow very tall and blends well with other flowers. But it is better to first consider the popular types of plants.
New Zealand Purple
The castor oil plant of this variety has beautiful external characteristics. It has large carved leaves with a dark purple color and a massive burgundy stem. On the site, the flower looks bright, decorative and unusual. With it, the site will become original, stylish.
Despite the fact that the height of the castor bean variety New Zealand Purpl is not large, the plant stands out from a large number of flowers. It is often planted near gazebos or fountains.
Carmencita
The Carmencita flower variety is vibrant and unusual. The main positive quality is the unique coloration that sets the plant apart from many other flowers.
The main qualities of the Castor oil variety Carmensita include:
- the plant has beautiful foliage with carved shapes. It has a reddish-burgundy color;
- the stems have a red tint;
- during the flowering period, inflorescences appear with a pink-green color;
- the height of an adult plant is one and a half meters.
Cambodian castor oil plant
Cambodian castor bean plants are often grown naturally. She is planted in the garden flower beds, flower beds. The plant grows not very tall, maximum 120 cm. In adult flowers, the trunk turns black. The leaf plates are dark green in color, they are dissected to the base.
Kazachka
The castor oil variety Kazachka was bred by domestic breeders. Among the most important features of the plant are the following:
- An adult flower can grow up to 2 meters.
- The stem is brownish-red in color.
- Its leaf plates are dark purple interspersed with white. Over time, they acquire a dark green color with central veins with a red tint.
- When flowering, the plant produces small flowers. Their color is blood-red.
- Together with the flowers, small purple-colored seed pods appear. They are stored until the seeds are fully ripe, they are used for reproduction.
Castor oil Gibson
Gibson's castor oil is a beautiful flower that can be grown in the front garden, in vegetable garden, in the garden. Under natural conditions, it grows for no more than a year.
The main features of this variety include:
- an adult plant grows to a height of 150 cm;
- leaf plates are dark green in color with central burgundy veins;
- over time, a metallic sheen appears on the surface of the leaves;
- the leaves are beautifully carved, and the metallic sheen gives them brightness and makes them look like stars.
Popular varieties
Popular varieties of castor bean can be seen on the Internet from a photo. They have a beautiful appearance, which allows you to make the site bright and original. Many of them are considered poisonous, summer residents, gardeners and flower growers are actively planting this plant.
All poison is found in seeds and juice. If you do not contact him closely, you can easily avoid poisoning.
Bourbon
Castor oil plant Bourbon is a variety garden palms... Its unique feature is that its height can be up to 3 meters. The main qualities of the plant include:
- it resembles a tree due to the presence of a powerful trunk;
- the trunk has a dense structure with a red tint;
- the trunk is 15 cm in diameter;
- the castor bean of the Bourbon variety has large sheet plates with a carved shape;
- the plates have a shiny surface, they are painted in a dark green hue.
Northern palm
Castor bean northern palm is a woody species. The height of an adult plant reaches two meters. It is used to decorate plots and front gardens.
The unique features of the northern palm variety castor bean include:
- The plant has unusual palmate leaves. Their diameter can be up to 30 cm.
- At the time of flowering, inconspicuous small flowers appear.
- Flowers form buds with a dense structure and racemose shape. They can be almost 30 cm long.
Zanzibar Green
Castor oil plant Zanzibar Green is an ornamental flower, it belongs to the Malvaceae family. In height, it usually grows up to 250 cm. It grows quickly enough.
Castor oil plant zanzibar has large leaves with a bright green color.At the time of flowering, flowers are formed, which form dense inflorescences with a racemose shape. They are red.
Castor oil plant hot heart
Castor oil plant Hot heart is a very beautiful plant with a bright color. This plant is the most poisonous, for this reason it is not recommended to grow it in the country, in the garden, in the garden. The main poison is found in seeds and thorns, which fly out over long distances.
Red castor oil plant
Ornamental castor oil plant is a unique plant that is designed to decorate a plot or flower garden. It has beautifully carved foliage that can be painted in different shades - from dark green to bright red. It is very tall and has a powerful trunk, therefore from the side it resembles a tree or a decorative palm tree. There are many types and varieties of castor bean, which can differ according to several criteria - the shape and color of the foliage, the height, density, diameter and color of the trunk.