My Castor Oil plant is dying

We have an established Castor Oil Plant which has suddenly started to die back in great chunks.  The whole plant has taken on a pale green hue rather than the darker green that it normally has.  To me it looks as though it's had too much water so perhaps the extra rain that we've had this year has affected it.  Has anyone else had this problem?  I have fed it but nothing's changed.  I don't want to move it unless I really have to.  Do these plants have any particular bugs?  I've always found them to be fairly robust in the past so it's quite a worry.

I have found in the past that mine has sometimes looked very sorry for itself and i thought I was going to lose it but then it seems to suddenly pick up and come back to life.  Yes, they are a robust plant. 

This year though mine is looking the best it has looked for a few years and thought it was all the rain we have had !!  It is such a funny year for plants they just don't know what is happening.  Lots of strange bugs and things as well - I think if it was me I would leave it and see how it goes next year.

Can I just ask a question, I thought that these are tender, how are you over wintering them?

Well, they certainly are hardy where I live - down on the south coast - I can't speak for other areas obviously.  There have been some winter mornings when the whole plant seems to have been frozen solid but it soon thaws out again and seems quite happy.

Hi Bird Lady - just a thought. Are you sure it's a caster oil plant ? Fatsia 's look very similar but are totally unrelated and are hardy plants . Wouldn't have thought it would survive a winter in any part of the country.

I am in the south-east, I just assumed that when the first frost came they would collapse, this is my first year growing them, it would be great if they survived.

Am I to assume that everyone knows caster oil plants are extremely poisonous ?

Jean I am not planning on letting anyone else in my garden this year 

Ha - Just remember the ricin bit !

jean riley wrote (see)

Hi Bird Lady - just a thought. Are you sure it's a caster oil plant ? Fatsia 's look very similar but are totally unrelated and are hardy plants . Wouldn't have thought it would survive a winter in any part of the country.

It's Fatsia Japonica, also known as Aralia, or the Castor Oil Plant. We've always referred to them as CO Plants, sorry for any confusion. 

I realise there is an unrelated Ricinus communis but it's not that one.

Nevertheless, whatever the correct name - the problem still remains!

Oh my word - I've got something right. I shall have a delve around .  Have you checked the soil around the plant for beasties ?

I have lost the small one I had in the border as it didn't like wet roots for so long in our clay soil. The big one I've got in a huge pot has gone a very light yellowish shade of green and I thought it was because I had left it in the shade of the house, where I winter it. Now I've moved it into the sunny side it is not improving the colour, even after a good feed. Maybe the weather is to blame. I hope I don't lose it.

Maybe this link will help -  Quite a lot of information there.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/lancashire/content/articles/2008/01/08/pests_feature.shtml

Sorry - I posted the wrong link.

It's this one http://www.backyardgardener.com/plantname/pd_7bb0.html

I've posted the wrong link sorry . This is the one with most information on.