At the citrus expo in S.C., I found a seed pod dropped from a cool looking plant but I didn't label it & can't remember what the plant was like!!! The seed pod was large marble sized with some prickly things on it & 3 seeds inside. One grew...has reddish stems & veins. Anyone know what it is? Thanks


This next one , someone gave me last yr. I think it's a rose vine - TONS of thorns on it. Finally got flower buds & they opened to these single white flowers. Smells like a rose so it must be...just never saw a rose looking like this before.

The first pic looks like Ricinus communis or the castor bean plant and the way you describe the pods seems to fit the bill, but I could also be wrong. The seeds of castor bean plant can be used to develop potent poison called Ricin (from the genus name Ricinus) favored by terrorists.

The next pics, that is a bonafide rose, but it most likely came from a chance seedling that emerged from rose hips of domesticated roses. I have several of those chance seedlings of roses, I let them grow very interesting combo sometimes, but nothing that warrants a new rose variety that could be worth distributing to others. Most are uprooted after they bloom or perform in my yard and not to my satisfaction, but I let them grow until they can prove themselves. I came close to finding one in my yard, it produced red beautiful but fragrant flowers, onlly two layered petals, but then alas, it easily succumbs to various rose diseases and became very sickly. Watch out for these rose seedlings, it takes them sometimes only a couple of years before they bloom, and if they look good and free of diseases, that would be a nice candidate for new cultivar that could be added into the several thousand cultivars in circulation.

Patty, I believe Joe is correct, the first plant certainly looks like a Castor Bean. If I remember correctly, you also picked up some seeds from a large Cycad that was growing in the courtyard of your hotel. - Millet

Patty,
the roses look to be "Irish Roses" to me.. Personally I'd LOVE to have one growing in my yard. Best yet.. growing along my back fence!!! If you could stand to part with a clipping or two let me know.. maybe some seeds??
Gina *BabyBlue*

Patty, I am pretty sure the castor bean is a cultivar called "Dwarf Red Spires". It gets 6-10 feet tall. I have the plant and may have had seeds at the CE.

The seeds are poison (not sure about the foliage), but I have never had anything around here eat one. I am sure that it happens occasionally. I would take extra precautions where small children or puppies are concerned. If there is a chance they may, it is pretty easy to cut the seeds off before they mature. One good thing is that deer will not eat them.

Ned

Castor bean it is. The seeds you collected at your hotel were King Sago seeds (Which are by the way very poisonous as well if eaten). Did you ever get them to germinate ? Normally they can take months to germinate.

Laaz, a King Sago, that what that was? Sago as in a palm? I really did not quite remember what the plant was, but I do remember Patty, seeing the plant and " heisting" the seeds. LOL - Millet

Thanks guys...Caster Bean huh? I'll have to look it up. Is it worth growing here? Will it go dormant? Decent looking flowers?
Laaz is right about the sago palm seeds. I showed the seeds to you guys & Laaz knew what they were. Me & Joe reached in that big 'nest' of seeds in middle of palm & grabbed some. Joe never saw anything like that either.
No, the seeds did not germinate yet. Still watching them.
Gina, this rose vine would surely keep intruders away... moreso than prickly pear you were thinking of planting. The thorns are as bad as Flying dragon & more of them! That bush is 4 times the size it was last year... over 6 ft, and I pruned it! Lots of flower buds. According to Joe, maybe I have something good???? And to think last yr because of no flowers, I almost pulled it out.

Caster Bean:
"A beautiful plant native to Africa grown here as an annual. Leaves are less toxic than seeds ..one seed can KILL a person". WOW
I'm surprised the Cyprus gardens had this plant with seed pods on ground.

Here is the Caster Bean now with seed pods growing (taken couple weeks ago). What a pretty plant!
Interesting that there are flowers under the seed pods. The flowers did not turn to seed. The seed pods (dark prickly balls above lite colored flowers) just grew without a flower first.
Ned, do you grow this as an annual? Are these popular around there? I never saw or heard of this plant before & neither has anyone else around here. I feel so lucky!
Oh shoot, pic is not good...gotta take another.

That is cool!! Love the dark leaves.. very pretty!! and the flowers add just the right touch..

congrats!!!

Gina *BabyBlue*

Sure looks like Dwarf Red Spires to me. I have considered painting the seeds to resemble corn, and putting them out for the squirrels LOL (bet I will get some nasty responses for this - hope Faye doesn't see it!).

I looked up Caster Bean & Dwarf Red Spires & Red Spires on Daves Garden & Red Spires is not found (nor Dwarf). Ned, is it possible to post a pic of yours? What a GREAT idea for squirrels!!! I just may try that too.

Patty, here is the picture of Dwarf Red Spires. I got the name from the Riverbanks Zoo and Garden in Columbia, SC, where I first got the seed. I am not sure I have seen it called that anywhere else, but I haven't seen any other names for it either.

Thanks for that pic Ned. It looks just like mine except yours has more branches & leaves. Are these fairly popular there? What a nice greenhouse you have!
Dave's Garden had no info on Red Spires (?) But someone did post that when she was 11-12 yrs old, someone gave her a gift from their vacation, a string of the seeds to wear as a necklace. She wore it as she was doing homework & chewed on the seeds. During night she was vomiting & then, diahrea & vomiting some more. In a.m. she dry heaved & seed shells came out. Her mother took her to emergency...she couldn't walk. One Dr there did a report on Caster bean in past & ordered her stomach pumped. She almost died & would've if not for that DR.
Now, isn't that a nice gift to give a young girl!!! ; I'd rather give them to squirrels.