What Zones Do Castor Beans Grow In?

The castor bean plant, or Ricinus communis, is grown as a perennial or evergreen shrub in some parts of the United States. The large-mottled seeds of this plant are deadly, according to Washington State University. Cautionary measures are vital if you have small children or pets that may accidentally ingest them. One way to prevent accidental ingestion is to remove the seed pods and destroy them before they mature. Use gardening gloves to remove the pods, as they may cause skin irritations as well. The castor bean plant grows well as a border plant or in large containers. It cannot tolerate frost. The plant has large, palmate leaves that come in a variety of colors, such as blackish-purple, maroon, green and white, solid green, metallic red and bronze-green. It provides a lush, tropical-looking shrub for your landscape area.

1. Zone 9

   • The castor bean plant grows in zone 9 which covers parts of California, Southwest Arizona, central Florida and the southern tips of Texas and Louisiana.

   Zone 10

   • Zone 10 covers the south central coast of California, and is another environment where castor oil plants grow as evergreen plants.

   Zone 11

   • Zone 11 is in the southern coast of California and the southernmost tip of Florida and is one of the few areas in the country where castor bean plants grow as perennials.

   Other Zones

   • The castor bean plant grows in all other zones as an annual plant from seed. The seeds are available from horticultural seed exchanges, seed catalogs and online websites.