Is Castor Oil Toxic

A small evergreen semi-woody perennial that matures to about two feet tall and wide, rue has been used as a medicinal and "anti-magic" herb for centuries, and was even considered a reliable defense against witches.

My mother could not hullwithout breaking out into a rash on her hands. As gardeners and lovers of the outdoors, it's a good idea to understand which plants we should take care to avoid--or at least take precautions to handle the specimen carefully.

Mandrake roots contain poisonous alkaloids which act as a hallucinogen and a narcotic. Rarely grown in gardens, belladonna is regarded as a weed in many parts of the world.Today we know hellebore primarily as the Lenten Rose, the beautiful early-blooming...

A miniature form of its parent, Euphorbia x martinii, with an extremely long blooming period. Hardy to at least Zone 6.Further information on other favorite Euphorbias can be found in PlantFiles:

I planted them in a couple of places in my garden, and they are truly lovely plants. The key is temperature. Because it is insoluble in benzine and has a very low freezing point, it is well suited for the lubrication of airplane engines.

As delicate as birds seem, they actually seem to be able to tolerate a lot of plants being nibbled and ingested that would be very noxious or toxic to a dog or cat. Following is a brief overview of these plants and a practical look at their risks to our...

That is the trouble with getting older, I think our memories are simply too full, and we ought to find a way to push a button and rid ourselves of unnecessary information. Thanks to these photographers: Lunavox for the thumbnail, LilyLover_UT for the...

One of the first perennials grown as a garden ornamental were the monkshood. The soil pH does not seem to matter as they grow equally well in acidic or alkaline soil. The soil should be evenly moist but well-drained.

These Aloes should be listed separately, rather than lump all the many hundreds of species of Aloe as one entity?Should I be concerned when one of my dogs decides to eat one (that is unlikely to happen by the way, despite my having over 600 aloes in the...

Jatrophas are Euphorbia relatives that can make interesting ornamentals as potted plants, or outdoors in warmer climates. Primarily of Central American origin with many species extending into the very southern United States (and at least one species is...

"Let me see you move your lips," she said. It was also where I carved my name in a little maple sapling when I was seven and wasn't supposed to be near a knife. I always helped string peas and then beans because that meant I could sit around and listen...

The level of PHA in all varieties is not known.Green beans (snap beans) are a questionable matter. I can find no clear evidence that raw green beans have PHA levels high enough to make them unsafe for most of the population.

Severely trimmed Phoenix palms (trimmed far more radically than I would normally recommend, but for safety reasons, as this is near a walk way, essential).Most of these have a vicious terminal spine which makes one hesitate even getting close enough to...

That devil'll git ahold on you and he ain't goin never let you go!" And out of my mouth came these words: "Ethan, that is a bad plant and we must never touch it. Seems young Mason din't know the differnce 'tween rabbit 'baccy and devil's weed cause he...

Native shrubs can greatly benefit your home landscape. Seeds were saved and sent to Philadelphia to a horticulturist named Bernard McMahon. Meriwether Lewis, of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, catalogued it in 1804 and even recognized it as a honeysuckle...

So many of us have experienced the pain and itch of Poison Ivy that even non-gardeners tend to keep a watchful eye for Poison Ivy, Poison Oak and other itchy or poisonous plants. But quite unbelievable is the fact that Poison Ivy and Cashews share an...

Well, good luck was not shining down upon me that day, because just as I reached to pick a clover, a bee landed on my hand. It was in full bloom. I learned all I could learn about mountain laurel, and treasured its beauty, but one time it almost became...

Some even suggested scarification of the seeds prior to planting, which would definitely expose the innocent purchaser to risk of accidental poisoning. If it is chewed, cracked, or damaged from drilling or wear, however, it releases abrin, one of the...

It can climb as high as 15 feet on top of other plants, creating a shaded shelter, or bower. Numerous creamy white flowers bloom in large clusters from July through September and are followed by fruit heads with long plumy tails.According to my relatives...

The animals, including sheep, goats, horses, and cows, were often the first to show symptoms, which included tremors, and the curious habit in horses and cattle of standing with their hind feet very close together.

(Editor's Note: This article was originally published on February 1, 2011. I planted it in a rock garden in the front of my house, then when it became crowded, I moved it to a shade garden at the side of my house.

It might have worked. The herbaceous perennials are dormant. About 15% of the human population is immune. He said that it was ivy. All other animals are immune. It is sometimes said that the Native Americans were immune, as some groups used the stems...

NEVER burn either living plants or those that have been pulled or cut. Use good sense and, when necessary, call in a professional to deal with large areas of poisonous materials.2 http://plants.nrcs.usda.gov/cgi_bin/invasive/all.cgi

Trying to be a good steward to the earth means minimizing your impact on the natural order of life. How does castor oil repel animal pests? Using castor oil in the garden can be part of good garden management without the potential side effects that commercial...

One pod can yield dozens of seeds. Let nature take over the care, and chances are good you will have plenty of seedlings by late summer. Label the envelope now before you have a chance to forget.Have you planned a new foxglove patch already?

No wonder she would not let me sample it. They boiled for about 20 minutes, then she let them sit for an hour. I have nothing that has a white bloom and could not imagine what it was.

I set it in a north-facing kitchen window, where it did indeed begin to return to its former rich green color. Even if a curve dipped NEAR the soil, roots would form on the lower edge of the curve and begin reaching for the surface.