Editing Ricinus (section)

== Cultivation ==
[[File:Ricinus communis4.jpg|thumb|In Greece it is hardy enough to grow as a small tree. In northern countries it is grown instead as an [[Annual plant|annual]].]]

Although ''Ricinus communis'' is indigenous to the southeastern [[Mediterranean Basin]], [[Eastern Africa]], and India, today it is widespread throughout tropical regions.<ref name="Phillips" /> In areas with a suitable climate, castor establishes itself easily where it can become an invasive plant and can often be found on wasteland.

It is also used extensively as a decorative plant in parks and other public areas, particularly as a "dot plant" in traditional [[Bedding (horticulture)|bedding schemes]]. If sown early, under glass, and kept at a temperature of around {{convert|20|°C|°F}} until planted out, the castor oil plant can reach a height of {{convert|2|–|3|m|ft}} in a year. In areas prone to [[frost]] it is usually shorter, and grown as if it were an [[annual plant|annual]].<ref name="Phillips" /> However, it can grow well outdoors in cooler climates, at least in southern England, and the leaves do not appear to suffer frost damage in sheltered spots, where it remains evergreen.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Castor Bean, Ricinus communis |url=https://wimastergardener.org/article/castor-bean-ricinus-communis/ |access-date=2020-08-04 |website=Master Gardener Program |language=en-US}}</ref> It was used in Edwardian times in the parks of Toronto, Canada. Although not cultivated there, the plant grows wild in the US, notably [[Griffith Park]] in Los Angeles.<ref>''Toronto Star'', 9 June 1906, p.&nbsp;17</ref> <!-- not sure what the following sentence meant, as there is no "white" variety or cultivar: Of the red and white variety, the red is seen as an ornamental plant, the white is used medicinally.-->

===Cultivars===
[[Cultivar]]s have been developed  by breeders for use as ornamental plants (heights refer to plants grown as annuals) and for commercial production of castor oil.<ref name="Brickell" />

;Ornamental cultivars
*'Carmencita' has gained the [[Royal Horticultural Society]]'s [[Award of Garden Merit]]<ref name="RHSPF">{{cite web |title=RHS Plantfinder – ''Ricinus communis'' 'Carmencita' |url=https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/106235/i-Ricinus-communis-i-Carmencita/Details |access-date=9 October 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=July 2017 |title=AGM Plants – Ornamental |url=https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/pdfs/agm-lists/agm-ornamentals.pdf |access-date=9 October 2018 |publisher=Royal Horticultural Society |page=88}}</ref> 
* 'Carmencita Bright Red' has red stems, dark purplish leaves and red seed pods;
* 'Carmencita Pink' has green leaves and pink seed pods
* 'Gibsonii' has red-tinged leaves with reddish veins and bright scarlet seed pods
* 'New Zealand Purple' has plum colored leaves tinged with red, plum colored seed pods turn to red as they ripen
*: (All the above grow to around {{convert|1.5|m|ft}} tall as annuals.)<ref name="Phillips" />
* 'Impala' is compact (only {{convert|1.2|m|ft|disp=or}} tall) with reddish foliage and stems, brightest on the young shoots
* 'Red Spire' is tall ({{convert|2|–|3|m|ft|disp=or}}) with red stems and bronze foliage
* 'Zanzibarensis' is also tall ({{convert|2|–|3|m|ft|disp=or}}), with large, mid-green leaves ({{convert|50|cm|in|disp=or}} long) that have white midribs<ref name="Brickell" />

;Cultivars for oil production
* 'Hale' was launched in the 1970s for the US state of Texas.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oEcUAQAAMAAJ |title=The Cattleman |year=1961 |page=126 |quote="Hale" is a dwarf-internode castor bean variety developed in the cooperative castorbean program of the [[United States Department of Agriculture]] and the [[Texas Agricultural Experiment Station]]. It is resistant to bacterial [[leaf spot]] and ''[[Alternaria]]'' leaf spot}}</ref> It is short (up to {{convert|1.2|m|disp=or|abbr=on}}) and has several racemes
* 'Brigham' is a variety with reduced ricin content adapted for Texas, US. It grows up to {{convert|1.8|m|abbr=on}} and has 10% of the ricin content of 'Hale'
* 'BRS Nordestina' was developed by Brazil's [[Embrapa]] in 1990 for hand harvest and semi-arid environments
* 'BRS Energia" was developed by Embrapa in 2004 for mechanised or hand harvest
* 'GCH6' was developed by [[Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada University]], India, 2004: it is resistant to root rot and tolerant to [[fusarium wilt]]
* 'GCH5' was developed by Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada University, 1995. It is resistant to fusarium wilt
* 'Abaro' was developed by the [[Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research]]'s Essential Oils Research Center for hand harvest
* 'Hiruy' was developed by the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research's [[Awash Melkasa|Melkassa]] and [[Wondo Genet]] Agricultural Research Centers for hand harvest during 2010/2011