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Kew's purple castor oil plants

InglezinhoInglezinho Posts: 568
in Plants

A couple of years ago we visited Kew and were stunned by the "tropical" display of cannas and purple-leaved castor oil plants. Finally I managed to get some seed (from New Zealand) of the latter. 

As castor-oil plants are generally grown as annuals - they are much too thuggish to be left in the ground very long and of course will not survive frost in UK - my question is: does the purple-leaved variety come true from seed ? Here in Brazil castor-oil plant (Ricinus communis) is an absolute weed, but I have only once ever seen anything other than the green-leaved variety.

Last edited: 16 November 2017 22:17:09

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Posts

  • Guernsey Donkey2Guernsey Donkey2 Posts: 6,713

    imageThis is the Ricinus (Castor Oil) plant that we have - is this green or purple? Grown as an annual here, so I have collected seed to start all over again next year.  I hope it does come true but will have to wait and see.

  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190

    Mine were that colour as well, with red flowers. 

    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

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