Types Of Castor Bean Flowers: How To Recognize Castor Bean Flowers

Castor bean flowers are beautiful, but they're not exactly aesthetically pleasing. They can be either male or female and the only difference between them is that males produce the seeds while females need bees for pollination. Male flowers have a white color with yellow pollen, while females are red in color and emit a foul odour.

Both types of castor plants attract important pollinators like bees due to their distinctive colouring and structure. The leaves of castor beans are toxic to all animals except for cattle so it's best to keep them away from reach of small children if you have livestock on your property.

Pollinated castor beans

Pollinated castor beans are developed inside a flower. Each flower has two types of petals: the outer shell-like sepals and the inner petals which have the same color as the castor beans seed coat.The latter are smaller than the sepals, but they are attractive to bees and other pollinators. Pollination is about 50 percent among flowers of different types.

It is crucial to know the type of castor bean flowers because it will help you determine how many pollinated flowers to expect from each plant and how long it will take for castor bean seeds to be ready for harvesting. It should not go unnoticed that the average time from planting seedlings till a first harvest of live, polished castor bean seeds is about five years.

Carmencita Bright Red

Carmencita bright red castor bean flower is a variety of castor bean which was found in Mexico City, Puebla City and Orizaba. The plant was named after Carmencita Rocha who first discovered it in 1988. Carmencita is also known as Red Star because of its star-like flowers.

The Carmencita has a compact and round shape which is about four feet wide and its size has an average of six to eight years before producing flowers. It has distinctive large red blossoms with white edges that have fringed petals, longer than the normal castor bean flower. The Carmencita's seeds were found not to germinate when planted.

The Carmencita is a slow growing plant and has been known to grow in different types of soil which contain clay or sand but the best type of soil they can live with is rich sandy loam. The Carmencita can be grown as long as it gets water during summers. The flowers bloom from June to August and they can be seen throughout these months.

Gibsonii

This plant can grow up to a height of 4 to 5 feet and has pink colored seed pods with leaves that are in dark red shades. The USDA zones are 5 to 11 for this cultivar and the blooming season is late summer to early fall. For this spiny plant, full sun is ideal for healthy growth.

Well drained soil with a pH of 5.8 to 7.0 is best for this plant. The seeds for this cultivar should be planted 0.25 inches deep and should be spaced out 36 to 46 inches so that they have enough space for growing. The seeds of this variety are highly poisonous and should be kept out of reach of children in order to avoid hazards of any sort.

The average germination period is a week or two weeks at a temperature of 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. This plant can really add an exotic feel to the landscape. Fertilizing is needed every one month for the healthy growth of this variety.

Impala

The Impala Castor is a widespread, invasive species and can be found on the continents of Africa and Asia.

The flowers are large, 6-to-8 inches in size, fluffy white solitary flowers that emerge from a small, brown colored bud. The flowers themselves have five petals with the upper two being very large and fringed while the lower three are smaller, but not much less substantial.

The Impala Castor also has a shiny green stem that can grow up to 10 ft. tall and is ridged by its many aerial roots. It will produce thousands of castor beans, each covered in a thick, mucilaginous substance. The plant's seeds are relatively large and thin, measuring about 3 cm long by 2 cm wide.

Sanguineus

Sanguinesus is the genus in which all castor beans fall into, but it is recommended that you get your seeds from a place that sells species-specific (not sanguineus-specific) seeds. The reason for this is that while they'll be obviously different plants, some of them are extremely good ornamental plants and others have poisonous properties. Unlike many plants, they start off as edible and stay that way through most of their lives. Sanguineus castor bean plant from a sanguineus-specific supplier

There are 70-100 species in the Sanguineus genus, all of which have flowers that are at least partially red. Most of them have pinkish flowers at most times, as well. They're not very large plants, either; most of them are four feet high or shorter.

Zanzibarensis

This cultivar features large, single, deep red blossoms. The flower bracts are carried out and later fall to the ground. This cultivar is a full-sun plant with pale green leaves. It will grow five feet tall on its own without any support. Zanzibarensis is a tropical plant that needs to be protected from freezing temperatures.

This cultivar features indigo blue blossoms with gold leaves. The flowers are usually carried up and out, though they can also fall as the bracts open. It will grow four feet tall without any support and full-sun plants need to be protected from freezing temperatures.

Red Spire

This cultivar can grow up to a height of 7 to 10 feet. It has red stems and red seed pods with leaves that almost look like they are bronze colored. The flowers are red in color and the flowering time for this plant is summer, early fall, or late fall. It prefers mesic water and the flowers and fruit are showy. It attracts bees and butterflies and is resistant to deer and rabbit. The leaves, roots, fruit, seeds and all other plants are toxic and should be kept away from the reach of small children. Full sun or partial shade is ideal for the growth of this cultivar. At cultivation time, these should be spaced 36 to 48 inches apart for healthy growth. 

New Zealand Purple

This one branches lesser than the other varieties and has leaves that are smaller and reddish purple in color. This fast growing cultivar has hardiness zones 9 to 11 and is annual in the other zones. Apart from that, full sun is ideal for the growth of this plant, along with dry and sandy soil. The color of the foliage is very striking. This cultivar can reach a height of 10 feet in a single growing season. Care should be taken around children and pets, since the seeds are highly poisonous. The seeds take 12 to 14 weeks to bloom. This plant has a glossy texture and is resistant to deer.

Carmencita Pink

This cultivar has pinkish red panicles and seed pods. Well drained soil with approximately 30 % clay is ideal for the growth of this variety. It grows well at a temperature of 12 to 15 degrees centigrade and temperatures below 10 degrees centigrade can only be tolerated for a very short while. A lot of balanced fertilizer needs to be used for healthy growth of this plant.

High sun exposure ensures best growth and the crop time is around 9 to 10 weeks. The poisonous seeds should be kept away from children. It is a half hardy plant that can grow up to a height of 90 centimeters. It can be used best as a solitary plant for borders or containers, as a medical plant, an oil plant or an ornamental leaf plant.

Carmencita Rose

Carmencita Rose is just one of the castor bean flowers. The castor beans are native to eastern Africa, but have spread all over the world and found their way into our backyards.

While they are originally from East Africa, they can now be found throughout North America as well as other countries. Castor beans need warm temperatures in order to grow. They can be found in regions as diverse as the United States, Central Africa and India.

This is characterized by bluish green foliage and seed pods that are in different shades of peach. This plant is relatively miniature and the blooms flush throughout the season. The USDA zones are 6b through 9b. This plant is very vigorous and is equally poisonous as the rest and hence should be kept away from the reach of small children. It was bred first in 1954 in Spain by Cebria Camprubi Nadal.

FAQS:

How long does a castor bean flower last?

Each type of castor flower lasts only a single day. This is one reason why bee flowers have become so important to growers; on the day that they are in bloom, you can harvest thousands of seeds from a single, large plant. 

Why do castor bean flowers attract bees?

The female and male plants both have very different flower structures, which is important for attracting pollinators -- bees in this case. The white flowers of the male castor plant are one of the most attractive to bees hence the reason why they are planted together with female plants so that bees can easily pollinate them.

How do you get rid of castor bean plants?

If there are just a few castor bean plants close to each other, then you can remove the entire plant from its roots, including underground stems. However, if there is a cluster of castor bean plants in an area, then you will have to use herbicides to get rid of them since uprooting each one manually would take too much time and effort.

How do you identify castor bean plants?

The easiest way to identify castor bean plants is by looking for clusters of tall, yellow flowers.

Where do castor beans grow?

Castor plant seeds can be easily purchased online and in local shops as well. They are simple to grow if you know what climate they need the most and how much water and sunlight they require to grow so that you can easily produce your own castor beans.

Conclusion:

There are many types of castor bean flowers, but they all attract important pollinators including bees due to their distinctive color and structure. On the other hand, both male and female flowers serve different purposes for the castor plant since females need bees for pollination while males need them in order to produce seeds.

Furthermore, the leaves are toxic to all animals except for cattle, hence if you have livestock, it is best to keep the plant isolated in a guarded place.