Castor Oil plants?

[charlie]

How do these do in a sunny but dry position?

Is it best to overwinter plants or do them each year from seed?

[AndyC]

If you want tall plants with big leaves then poor dry soil won't do, however, they can survive in very inhospitable conditions.
I've seen them growing on waste ground close to Madeira shopping (we were looking for the start of a Levada walk), which was very dry and dusty. Even more impressed to have seen them growing a few yards from the beach off the Pacific coast highway near Ventura. They were growing in almost pure sand and very stunted but still producing seed.
I've tried a couple of times to overwinter them but I found that plants grown from seed the following year catch them up by early summer anyway so not much point in keeping them over winter.
This year I've grown a few 'Camencita Red' which have done ok, flowered and setting seed but they haven't been watered so are only about 1.5M tall. The tallest I've ever grown were called 'Zanzi Palm' which produced huge leaves on 3.5M stems but I couldn't get them to set any viable seed.

[tony]

I tried overwintering New zealand giant this year - a complete waste of time. They seem to do well for me - a bit like cannas only really start to put on a bit of height in late July. If I can grow them on my sandy soil with no special attention( which is a bit like a beach where it hasn't been improved ) I am sure you shouldn't have any problems Charlie. Although they flower they never last long enough into Autumn to set seed for me.

[charlie]

If you want tall plants with big leaves then poor dry soil won't do, however, they can survive in very inhospitable conditions.
I've seen them growing on waste ground close to Madeira shopping (we were looking for the start of a Levada walk), which was very dry and dusty. Even more impressed to have seen them growing a few yards from the beach off the Pacific coast highway near Ventura. They were growing in almost pure sand and very stunted but still producing seed.
I've tried a couple of times to overwinter them but I found that plants grown from seed the following year catch them up by early summer anyway so not much point in keeping them over winter.
This year I've grown a few 'Camencita Red' which have done ok, flowered and setting seed but they haven't been watered so are only about 1.5M tall. The tallest I've ever grown were called 'Zanzi Palm' which produced huge leaves on 3.5M stems but I couldn't get them to set any viable seed.

It was seeing them on waste ground on Madeira that made me think maybe they might do in a dry spot, I may try some seed next year, how early do you start them Andy?

[charlie]

I tried overwintering New zealand giant this year - a complete waste of time. They seem to do well for me - a bit like cannas only really start to put on a bit of height in late July. If I can grow them on my sandy soil with no special attention( which is a bit like a beach where it hasn't been improved ) I am sure you shouldn't have any problems Charlie. Although they flower they never last long enough into Autumn to set seed for me.

Sounds encouraging, are there any good seed sources out there?

[Mark]

Chilterns were one of the best places along with Jungle seeds ( who are packing up doing plants soon) Ebay had plenty when I used to dabble with them years back.

[flounder]

I may be a pedant, but I thought you were referring to fatsia when you said castor oil. Castor bean being ricinus.
I'll get my coat