It's fair to say that there are no known cases of deaths from eating
Ricinus accidentally, as far as I know. Indeed, more plants are
poisonous than are not, at least to some degree. But this is so toxic that I
wouldn't plant it with children around, no. However, the great thing is to
teach children not to put anything *at all* in their mouths without
asking you first. And they should bring *you* to the plants, not vice versa!
You don't want them picking Euphorbia or rue!
--
Sacha

While it's true that the seeds are extremely poisonous and can result
in death if chewed and ingested, the rest of the plant is classed as
only mildly poisonous - i.e. less dangerous than a host of other garden
plants we happily grow. Ricinus are stunningly beautiful, dramatic
foliage plants, and I wouldn't be without them in my garden. To avoid
any problems, you can cut off the flowering parts before the seeds are
formed.