738. Castor Oil plant vs Aralia (Ricinus vs Fatsia)

Описание: Date today is actually Sunday 10 December 2017. Here is a comparison between the two similar looking and sometimes confused Castor Oil plant (Ricinus communis) and the Japanese Aralia (Fatsia japonica).

Be aware that all parts of the Castor Oil plant are mildly poisonous but the seeds are highly poisonous to humans especially children. (Curiously chickens and ducks know to avoid eating the seeds, but for them, they'd have to eat many seeds to obtain a deadly dose anyway).

Castor Oil is made as a medicine, by special techniques that ensure the poisonous part is excluded. DO NOT try to make your own Castor Oil medicine at home, unless you REALLY know what you're doing. The oil is also used for some special mechanical engineering purposes instead of mineral oil.

The Aralia/Fatsia is a good substitute for those people who live in areas too cold for Castor Oil to grow. Castor can take only a hint of frost during some Winter mornings and still survive. Whereas Aralia can tolerate somewhere around -15*C degrees of frost and cold suffering no damage or. minimal damage only.

Here in Christchurch, New Zealand, a near maritime climate at 43 degrees South Latitude, I have often seen the flower and seed stalks damaged if we have snow settle on the Aralia/Fatsia plant and temperatures of about -5*C, but the plant's main stems and adult leaves are always fine.

In even colder climates both Castor Oil and Fatsia/Aralia plants can be used as indoor plants, but remember they need as bright light as possible. If possible place outdoors when conditions allow and bring back inside when danger of cold and frost conditions exist (especially for the Castor Oil plant).

Fatsia/Aralia can tolerate quite low light levels, ie quite shady areas. When grown in those shadier areas, the leaves will be Very Dark Green. When grown in full bright Sunlight, Aralia/Fatsia leaves are often a quite light green colour, indeed almost yellow-ish looking.