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PlantFiles: Rosary Pea, Crab's Eye, Precatory Bean, Jequeriti, olho-de-cabra,
Abrus precatorius

 
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Family: Papilionaceae (pa-pil-ee-uh-NAY-see-ee) (Info)
Genus: Abrus (AY-brus) (Info)
Species: precatorius (prek-uh-TOR-ee-us) (Info)

Synonym:Abrus abrus

One vendor has this plant for sale.

11 members have or want this plant for trade.

Category:
Tropicals and Tender Perennials
Vines and Climbers

Height:
12-15 ft. (3.6-4.7 m)
15-20 ft. (4.7-6 m)
20-30 ft. (6-9 m)
30-40 ft. (9-12 m)

Spacing:
Unknown - Tell us

Hardiness:
USDA Zone 9b: to -3.8 °C (25 °F)
USDA Zone 10a: to -1.1 °C (30 °F)
USDA Zone 10b: to 1.7 °C (35 °F)
USDA Zone 11: above 4.5 °C (40 °F)

Sun Exposure:
Full Sun
Sun to Partial Shade

Danger:
Seed is poisonous if ingested
Plant has spines or sharp edges; use extreme caution when handling

Bloom Color:
Magenta (Pink-Purple)
White/Near White

Bloom Time:
Mid Summer
Late Summer/Early Fall

Foliage:
Deciduous

Other details:
May be a noxious weed or invasive
Average Water Needs; Water regularly; do not overwater

Soil pH requirements:
6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic)
6.6 to 7.5 (neutral)
7.6 to 7.8 (mildly alkaline)

Patent Information:
Unknown - Tell us

Propagation Methods:
Scarify seed before sowing

Seed Collecting:
N/A: plant does not set seed, flowers are sterile, or plants will not come true from seed

By Floridian
Thumbnail #1 of Abrus precatorius by Floridian

By Floridian
Thumbnail #2 of Abrus precatorius by Floridian

By onalee
Thumbnail #3 of Abrus precatorius by onalee

By Floridian
Thumbnail #4 of Abrus precatorius by Floridian

By Floridian
Thumbnail #5 of Abrus precatorius by Floridian

By Floridian
Thumbnail #6 of Abrus precatorius by Floridian

By Floridian
Thumbnail #7 of Abrus precatorius by Floridian

There are a total of 9 photos.
Click here to view them all!

Profile:

No positives
5 neutrals
8 negatives

Gardeners' Notes:

RatingAuthorComment
Neutral Joan On May 12, 2009, Joan from Belfield, ND (Zone 4a) wrote:


Editor's Note

Some resources list Abrus precatorius seeds as poisonous.

The toxic principal is the protein Abrin. Symptoms, after delay of hours or days, include nausea, vomiting, severe abdominal pain and diarrhea, burning in throat; later ulcerative lesions of mouth and esophagus; can be fatal.

We tend to err on the side of caution in PlantFiles, and the danger notation in the details above is to caution gardeners, parents and pet owners to look further for more information before eating.
Negative losmilagros On May 12, 2009, losmilagros from Loxahatchee, FL wrote:

This plant,like many members said,is dangerous.But,not only a regular poison plant.It is one of the more powerful poison plant with not any cure if ingested ,or crack and smell the powder or if you have wounded hands and penetrate your skin.
I can believe one seller ,FROM FLORIDA,offer this plant for sale.Some people don`t care about the health of another people,when can make some income in their side or just ignore the information about it.
THIS PLANT IS WEED(spread like a bush fire in a pine forest),DANGER,HIGH POISON AND ILLEGAL TO SELL,TRADE,CARRY OR EXPORT TO ANY STATE.
The poison is LETHAL.
In others country's the mortal rate ,where this plant grow ,is very,very high.But doctors have not idea how to distinguish between the poison of this plant and the effects in the patients.And many time the death are cataloged like other cause.
The same happen in USA.
To gave an idea,we can call this plant "green ANTHRAX",to gave you an idea how bad is.

Neutral giftgas On May 5, 2009, giftgas from Everson, WA (Zone 7b) wrote:

I don't have any experience growing this plant yet, but I will as soon as the sun stays out for more than 1 day a week.

Pictures don't do the seeds justice...the color is unreal - if I hadn't seen the seeds with my own eyes, I would swear up and down that they didn't come from a living plant.

Negative Parent On Mar 25, 2008, Parent from Fort Lauderdale, FL wrote:

As a parent who's 6 year old brought back these deadly seeds from a neighbors front yard, I would insist that anyone thinking of planting this would think of the harm it could do. My daughter placed one of these bright and colorful seeds in her mouth. If she would have chewed it , she would be dead now. How can anyone consider planting them? Thank God she is okay, but we had a sleepless night worrying.

Neutral JamesCO On Oct 26, 2005, JamesCO from Grand Junction, CO (Zone 7a) wrote:

My biology professor said that it is THE MOST poisonous seed in the plant kingdom, #2 is Ricinus communis. I have to admit that there exists a morbid novelty in growing these things ornamentally.

Negative MotherNature4 On Jul 23, 2005, MotherNature4 from Bartow, FL (Zone 9a) wrote:

This is a very common and dangerous trash weed in Florida. IT SHOULD BE DISCOURAGED every way possible. I have found it growing on school grounds and near public buildings if there is a nearby field.
MN4

Negative NativePlantFan9 On Nov 7, 2004, NativePlantFan9 from Boca Raton, FL (Zone 10a) wrote:

Rosary Pea or Crab's Eye is extremely invasive in Florida in the U.S. from zone 8b in the central part of the state southward! It can climb as a vine over shrubs, smothering them and preventing germination and smothering young native plants such as tree seedlings and shrubs! Also, the bright-red berries are extremely poisonous to people and can result in death if eaten - if not, cause serious sickness! This noxious invasive vine is also found in Hawaii where it is also a serious pest! It is now on the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council's Pest Plant List Category One and is regarded as a noxious, very invasive and poisonous/harmful weed in Hawaii!

MORE FACTS - Very invasive in natural habitats in Florida, such as pine flatwoods, fields as well as disturbed areas such as along fences and human habitation. Very fast-growing. Has bright-red, small berries that are dangerous and VERY POISONOUS if ingested.

Negative TamiMcNally On Jun 15, 2004, TamiMcNally from Sarasota, FL (Zone 9b) wrote:

Invasive, unattractive, thorny, and poisonous.

It is difficult to remove this plant. Seeds fall all over the ground and sprout easily. Seeds end up in nearby areas due to rain and wind.

Negative Clare_CA On Dec 26, 2003, Clare_CA from (Zone 10b) wrote:

Someone sent me seeds of this plant, and I did some research before preparing to plant them. I decided not to sow these seeds after reading how poisonous the seeds are and how hazardous the plant is to animals and to people. Just one swallowed seed can be deadly. This is not a desirable plant for this reason.

Negative xyris On Oct 24, 2003, xyris from Sebring, FL (Zone 9b) wrote:

This is an invasive weed of natural areas in central Florida, as well as a weed in my garden. It will climb to to the treetops in a single year (note, height can be over 40 feet), and it is perfectly hardy in zone 9. I find seedlings in my garden beds, and pull them out, as well as cutting or pulling all the more mature plants I find. And, I don't find it particularly attractive.

Post-hurricane update (Dec. 2005) - After hurricanes in 2004 and 2005 brought down mature trees, opening up the ground to more light, this weed has become even more common. The seedlings send down deep taproots very quickly, and I have been pulling hundreds of them from my small native sandhill woodland area before they get a chance to climb the trees again.

Neutral ford3728 On Oct 23, 2003, ford3728 from Homer, LA wrote:

This is a beautiful plant but it is very invasive and almost impossible to get rid of once established. The roots spread under ground and come up everywhere and for long distances. It also has sharp stickers all up and down the stems. It grows wild in Homer, Louisiana.

Negative mesoto On Jul 15, 2003, mesoto from Crestview, FL wrote:

Rosary peas are so poisonous that the sharpened seeds are used as murder weapons in India.

Neutral mystic On Oct 25, 2002, mystic from Ewing, KY (Zone 6a) wrote:

Has narrow, oblong feather looking leaves.With pinkish -purple flowers. The seeds are round, and shiny red with a black eye. Seeds chewed or when cracked are extremely poisonous.The seeds are used for beads, sometimes made into necklaces and rosaries.The seeds need to be nicked and soaked in HOT water to get to germinate.

Regional...

This plant has been said to grow in the following regions:

Avon Park, Florida
Bartow, Florida
Boca Raton, Florida
Brooksville, Florida
Crestview, Florida
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Hollywood, Florida
Loxahatchee, Florida
Sebring, Florida
Rincon, Georgia



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