The world’s “deadliest” garden, dubbed the Poison Garden, can easily be mistaken for an immaculately manicured attraction at Alnwick in Northumberland. But on closer look, one would find over 100 varieties of dangerous plants.
Envisioned by the Duchess of Northumberland, Jane Percy, the gardens came up in 2005 after she hired Jacques Wirtz, the notable landscape architect of the French Tuileries, to transform the Christmas trees-laden stretch into something unconventional, according to a report by the BBC. The Duchess was inspired to build a home to poisonous plants during one of her trips to Italy’s ill-famed Medici poison garden.
The 600,000 annual visitors that come to see the gardens are only allowed access through guided tours, where they are strictly warned against “touching, smelling or tasting any plants”, according to the garden’s official website. But despite the warnings, every once in a while, someone ends up fainting by inhaling the toxic fumes from these lethal plants.
The sun almost makes The Poison Garden a little less scary ☠️
Walk beyond the gates for your guided tour to learn not everything is as it seems in a quaint English Garden. Tours are included with Garden Entry, just ask our friendly guides! 🌱 pic.twitter.com/bD5fOKJVxH
— The Alnwick Garden (@AlnwickGarden) June 25, 2022
The Poison Garden at England’s Alnwick Garden is beautiful—and filled with plants that can kill you
🍄 https://t.co/IuCmZ1YEhq pic.twitter.com/W4pJecBY0x
— Sarah Chavez (@sarah_calavera) January 24, 2019
Besides tourists, botany enthusiasts from across the globe make a pilgrimage to see poisonous plants like Monkshood, Rhododendrons and Wolf’s Bane. The gardens are also home to Ricin, commonly known as Castor Bean or Castor Oil plant, which according to the Guinness Book of World Records is the world’s most poisonous plant. But most of the plants, ironically, hold the key for major breakthroughs in curing some of the most untreatable illnesses.
Poison garden of Alnwick Castle in Northumberland, England. Behind these menacing looking black iron gates of this medieval castle is garden filled exclusively with hundreds of toxic, intoxicating, narcotic plants where visitors are explicitly told not to stop and smell flowers. pic.twitter.com/oi3b5pkR6V
— Archaeo – Histories (@archeohistories) May 17, 2022
Alnwick Poison Garden at Alnwick Castle, England ,was established in 2005 by the Duchess of Northumberland who’s affinity for the apothecary gardens inspired the collection of nearly 100 deadly and hallucinogenic plants.#FaustianFriday pic.twitter.com/Qwpo0D3WmM
— Susmita (@SusmitaUkil) February 26, 2021
For instance, as per the report, the yew tree is infamous for its poison called taxine, which is capable of killing someone within a matter of 20 minutes. But many are unaware that it also produces taxol, a medicine which is used in treating breast cancer.
