JennyC wrote:

"Ian Hayman" wrote in message
...
I may have missed all the inevitable Ricinis posts. I still have one
(the
red version), abeit a bit dead, in the garden. What sort of care
should I
take in getting rid of it. Is it still safe to handle, can it be
composted
etc.

Wash your hands afterwards and don't eat or drink while handling it. These
should be fairly normal precautions when gardening anyway. Lots of plants
are toxic - very few make the headlines.

Ricin is a toxic chemical that is extracted from the seeds of the castor
oil plant.
Don’t people take castor oil as a medicine?
Yes, but there is no ricin in castor oil: it is destroyed during the
oil production process.

The oil is completely separated from the pulp that contains the ricin
toxin.

The plant itself is safe to handle :~)

All plant parts contain some trace ricin but the seeds are by far the most
heavily defended part. The leaves and stems contain enough to kill any
aphid that tries sap sucking stone dead within 24 hours.

But unless you are dumb enough to eat it or otherwise ingest it you are
not in any danger.

The bronze metallic red cultivars make very striking border plants. Be a
shame if this latest scare causes them to be no longer grown as
ornamentals. Not a good plant to grow near small children.
(but very popular in continental municipal plantings none the less)

Regards,
Martin Brown