Ricinus Communis New Zealand Purple

'New Zealand Purple', also sold as 'New Zealand Black', is a dramatic castor oil plant with huge, deeply lobed leaves in dark red-purple to near black. Red female flower spikes rise above the foliage in summer and develop into rounded, softly spined maroon seed capsules. Grown as a fast annual in Britain, it can reach impressive size in one warm season and creates an instant tropical backdrop for cannas, dahlias and grasses. Its architectural beauty demands caution, as the seeds contain the deadly toxin ricin.