Side by side
Compare plates
Lay two plants next to each other — uses, risks, and whether either has a grow guide.
LegalDeadly
Castor bean
Ricinus communis
A tropical star-leaf with beautiful poisonous seeds — oil is a laxative, the mash is a biotoxin.
Flavor
Do not chew the seeds. Castor oil is oily, bland, and notoriously unpleasant as a purge.
In favor
Teaches the difference between a pressed oil and a seed toxin
Days to harvest
Ornamental foliage in 40–60 days; seed is not a home crop
LegalGentle
Green bean
Phaseolus vulgaris
The snap pod of the common bean — pick young, cook, and do not confuse a tender filet with a raw red kidney.
Flavor
Green, a little sweetness. A stringy old pod tastes like the word ‘should have picked yesterday.’
Symptoms
constipation, fatigue
Against
Raw mature kidneys are not food
Days to harvest
50–60 days bush; pole a little longer, then weeks of picking