The leaves are about 20" across fully developed. Plant height about 10' - 12' by late August. So far that's all I know about it. It grows in the yard of a friend of mine and comes back each year.
Can anyone identify this plant?
I think it is a castor bean plant. The seeds are poisonous. There is a green variety also. Sharon
Yes, It does look a lot like a Castor bean plant, I have never had them come back tho. I'll bet it won't this year after or extra cold winter unless it was wel mulched.
Mine always reseed, I live in zone 8. They may not this though as cold as it has been. I may have some seeds somewhere or I may even have a seedling later if you would like a plant. They are poisonous, if you have children or pets you may not want this plant in your landscape. Sharon, Broxton, GA
That is a purple castor bean ... they are great plants ... My grandmother had been growing them for over 50 years ... I still have viable seeds from her plants ... yes they are highly poisionous as KGB4013 has mentioned. There are several other varieties. The one I have is the Red, there is a Silver frost, the Green (as mentioned above) a pink and even one called "black death"
Sharon is right about this plant completelly ... If you have children running around or animals / pets that have the habit of eating things off the ground. You may not want it.
My sister in law ate one of the beans when she was a child up north and almost dies from it.
Even when handling the different parts of the plant you must be very careful not to touch your face. I always tell people to Wash there hands after handling. I have founf that just handling them I have felt my fingers and lips tingle & not in a good way.
My plants didn;t come back and I'm in NE Florida. The seeds that had fallen have sprouted though =D