the tree and me

This is some size of a plant you have there Lori ,pity it wont survive your winters, it looks beautiful

Take heart Lori, there's always next year. Maybe it will surprise you.

Wow! It gets that big in one season? Spectacular but I've heard castor bean is very prolific...considered a nuisance in most areas. Surely adds interest, doesn't it?

Thanks Janette, GG and Skippy! It was a bit of a nuisance after a bit..because it shaded out stuff that I wanted to strengthen for over wintering. But for the most part I've loved their contribution of height and colour.

Would it stand a chance if you mulch with a thick layer of straw and wrap the rest?

Not a chance, Arlene!.... I wish I had your weather... it becomes extremely cold for a two week period in late January/early February...and the daytime high temp will be MINUS 20....with nightime lows of -30 and sometimes lower.... that period we call the dead of winter....because if you don't have some kind of shelter...you're dead!! The last few warm winters we have received more snow...and snow cover helps the plants...we had a ton of snow last winter and my roses did very well with the insulation of 49 inches of it!

That's cold! I'm pleased your roses survived. I hope you have a warm winter coming up and lots of indoor plants to concentrate on.
Regards
Arlene

Thanks Arlene, yes I have orchids and orchid cactus and cereus to keep me amused...and I have saintpaulias too. It is interesting that some outdoor plants are ok with the long winters rest...they go dormant in mid-November and remain so until about April...roses, hosta, delphiniums, herbs, honeysuckle, ligularias, iris, all the bulbs, etc. survive our winters under a snow blanket...but I have lost plants that could stand the winter cold, which couldn't stand the freeze/thaw of April and died out completely. But that's all part of the fun of gardening..every garden is different...I find great joy in meeting the challenges of this climate.

Wow! I couldn't pull that either. I hadn't realized how large it would get! I'm already wondering where I could poke one in. :-)

the seedlings are huge, GT. you could start them in early to mid March under your lights and pot them on...then just sink the pots in the garden...they are a tap root and don't take well to transplant...so start them in jiffy 7's and keep potting them on into peat pots of ever increasing size....Wow...wouldn't that be great ...the tropics in Alaska!

Looks amazing Lori!
Such a shame they won't survive the frost but there is always next year.
Do you save the seed to plant next year?

49 inches of snow?!!!!! Thats a lot of snowmen :D

Brrrr... don't remind me, Jess! I have kept the seeds and they could be used as shot because they are as hard as the hubs of heck...excuse the terminology..lol. I kept the seeds out of curiosity...but I have always lifted the rhizomes in late autumn and stored them over winter. Being as the seed coat is so impermeable I was wondering if anyone out there knows if there is an insect, animal, reptile...etc...which aids in the breakdown of that seriously hard seedcoat to allow germination? will have to check that out..

Wow.... you did grow a monster didn't you. It really made a difference starting them inside in early spring. It wouldn't have gotten half that size if you let it reseed itself in the yard.

So best for me to find a rhizome? Always wanted to grow them but a little worried when the kids were little as they are so poisonous. Now they have grown up I want one!

Well friends, get set for a laugh at my expense...I just had a senior moment...thinking about my Castor Bean and writing about the Cannas. Hahahah.... I've been obsessed with the Canna seed, trying to find out about germination. JESS: I apologize. no they are not a rhizome...in fact the Castor Bean has a tap root... and they grow very quickly from beans that look like large brown and beige maize kernals... I bought a packet of seed and planted them in jiffy7's and kept potting them on as they grew very fast. When it was warm enough I potted them out in peat pots so that I didn't have to disturb their roots.

From what I have read, castor bean seeds are very toxic, Lori, so take care in handling them. We had grown them in pots at the front of the store in previous years but numerous customers asked us to remove them as they were afraid the children might pick the seed. We had no problem but did stop growing them at that location. I do love the look of the leaves on them; so huge!

yes those awful toxic kernals...a goY member told be about having to send a student to the hospital because she had eaten a bean!

There you are! Hi Lori~ : D

Hi Yellowleaf! It finally succumbed to the terrible cold...and it looked so sad and derelict that I finally removed it...I was amazed and the strength of the roots and the depth of their growth too...will situated them better next spring...going to start them in jiffy7's like I did last spring.