well knowing that and considering I am almost 2 zones higher than you Actually a zone 6B..we had a 7B winter the last 2 years I think it might just make it. I have seen it for sale at one place but didn't check the price so I will be on the look out...those castor bean pics are comming I'm just lazy 😆

alright I went out in the heat to get these 😆 reds then purple

greens

They look good Mike

Yours are (structurally)right in the middle of the 2 I like to grow.

Reddish coloration like the New Zealand and slightly smaller leaves than pure Zanzibar.

Where did you get your seeds?

Anyway....nice looking plants,look forward to seeing how they turn out.

PS

What are you fertilizing them with?

I wish I knew more of the exact type they were. the new zealand purple is correct but the "red" and "green" have names im sure I just don't know them. A friend gave me the red and purple seeds after a bumper crop last year. the greens were from a plant I found in southern KY in a public park. There are alot more planted out but they vary in size due to light restrictions. the ones in full sun are leaps and bounds ahead of the others. I gave away alot of my purples and wish I hadn't now. I will go get the seed from them when there ready though since there just up the street. I have been using 20-20-20 once a week and it seems to be doing good. might switch is later in the summer. the soil there in was amended with lots of humus and manure before they were transplanted there which might help.

Beside the New Zealand Purple probably one of/or some variation of these 4.

http://www.seedsandmore-store.com/catalog.php/seedsandmore/dt394/pd1993450/Castor_Bean_Collection_-_4_Varieties_SAVE_45_

somthing very weird on my way home from work...there was an old lady who had some castors last year..almost a blue tint to the leaves. she said I could have some seeds and i took some and she said "be careful they keep comming back". I thought oh well shes old and a bit crazy..its a zone 6B but it gets down to single digits even in good years. I drove past today and sure enough there back same spot as random as they were before. no way she planted them again there just all over. IDK what seeds that I have were from here plants but if there some rare genetic hardy breed I need to figure it out!

I have had some Castor plants come back in the lawn on the west side of the house
where I had some monster Castor beans growing-came up by itself and even took some frost.

Also had some New Zealand purple come back one year from seeds that dropped.

Nice colors and nice garden 😀