Grown in full sun 'Impala' is fuller with better color. Fun to watch grow, almost before your eyes. Leaves grow to about 24" across.
I used to grow some of this red-purple-leaved cultivar of the Castorbean around the grounds of a hospital with some other very tropical plants as Elephant's-Ear and Tender Fountaingrass. I started it in a small greenhouse by soaking the seeds for a day and then planting them into pots. It is a fast growing, large annual plant in the North. This Castorbean is the only species in the genus of Ricinus and it is native to northeast Africa and southwest Asia where it is perennial. It is easy to grow and likes rich, moist soil. I never had any problems with it. It sometimes may need staking, depending.
