I have a little something unusual this week, and although it's not officially "in a vase" I just had to share it! Those of you who have been following my blog regularly lately will know that I am nuts about this plant. The flowers of the Castor Bean are usually described as "insignificant", but I think they are incredibly beautiful, if a bit strange! The male and female flowers are born on the same stem, and as you can see, their appearances are distinctly different. The male flowers look like tiny cauliflowers and scatter pollen at the lightest touch (they are wind pollinated), and the female flowers look like little starfish or some other sea creature! One of my plants is also starting to form seed pods. Hopefully I will be able to get them out of the greenhouse and into the garden SOON! :D I always find myself looking forward to Mondays, when gardeners around the world share their beautiful flowers (and vases!) at Rambling in the Garden. I hope you'll enjoy it too, and have a great week!
26 Comments
5/21/2018 11:01:04 am
They do look like sea creatures! Fascinating, and fab photos.
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5/21/2018 01:51:22 pm
This is a wonderful flower I don't usually see!
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Glenda Webster
5/21/2018 04:54:39 pm
Thanks for a very informative posting. I grew castor beans at the back of the garden for years, but I don't think I ever really looked at the flowers. Supposedly the beans were used to poison moles and other vermin,
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5/22/2018 09:26:10 am
How beautiful, and not insignificant at all. Thank you for introducing me to Castor Bean flowers...they are fascinating.
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AuthorI am a passionate gardener and seed-saver, who also enjoys playing the violin and accordion, running, spending time with my 4 golden retrievers, keeping chickens, photography, and reading. Archives
March 2019
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