Poison garden
A poison garden is a garden that contains poisonous, toxic, and deadly plants.
History
The concept of a poison garden originates in the 16th- and 17th-century tradition of physic gardens, which grew plants for medicinal purposes. Some physic gardens, such as the Orto botanico di Padova, had sections devoted to poisonous plants.[1]
Examples
The most famous poison garden is at Alnwick Garden in Northumberland, England, which is visited by hundreds of thousands of people annually. The garden, founded in 2005 by Jane Percy, Duchess of Northumberland, contains more than 100 toxic species and serves to educate the public about the capacities of different plants.[1][2][3] In addition to the general public, the garden has received interest from mystery writers and the police.[2]
Torre Abbey in Devon has a poison garden that grows toxic plants mentioned in the novels of Agatha Christie.[4] Another poison garden is located inside the gardens of Blarney Castle in Ireland.[5][6] Poison gardens have also been grown by private individuals.[1][7][8]
Cornell University was home to a poison garden, first established by the botanist Walter Conrad Muenscher in 1958, used for educating veterinary students.[9] The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and University of California, Davis currently maintain poison gardens for veterinary education.[10][11]
Species
Poison gardens may contain plants such as:
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In fiction
Poison gardens have featured in fictional stories such as "Rappaccini's Daughter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne and The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware.[14]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Gibson, Prudence (October 31, 2024). "Friday essay: cure or kill? The deadly serious world of poison gardens – and why I planted my own". The Conversation. Archived from the original on November 1, 2024. Retrieved May 14, 2026.
- ^ a b Lamont, Tom (October 20, 2025). "What it takes to tend the world's deadliest garden". National Geographic. Retrieved May 14, 2026.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Silberner, Joanne (April 27, 2017). "Welcome To The Poison Garden: Medicine's Medieval Roots". NPR. Archived from the original on January 18, 2026. Retrieved May 14, 2026.
- ^ Wilson, Matthew (April 3, 2015). "A poison garden and the plants used by Agatha Christie's villains". Financial Times. Retrieved May 22, 2026.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "The beauty and danger of Blarney Castle's Poison Garden". IrishCentral.com. 2026-01-06. Archived from the original on January 29, 2026. Retrieved May 14, 2026.
- ^ Minor, Mary Lee (January 14, 2021). "Over the Garden Fence: Strolling along a path of poisons". Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum. Archived from the original on March 26, 2023. Retrieved May 22, 2026.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Wadler, Joyce (May 20, 2009). "Warning: Paralysis May Result". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 7, 2022. Retrieved May 14, 2026.
- ^ "Pretty Poison: Plants to Die For". CBS News. August 2, 2009. Archived from the original on December 23, 2013. Retrieved May 22, 2026.
- ^ a b Hendrickson, Robert (July 21, 1968). "A Place Where Deadly Plants Grow". The New York Times. Retrieved May 14, 2026.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Poisonous Plant Garden". University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Archived from the original on November 8, 2025. Retrieved May 22, 2026.
- ^ "Center for Companion Animal Health (CCAH) - UCD Toxic Plant Garden". University of California, Davis. Archived from the original on September 10, 2025. Retrieved May 22, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Griffiths, Chris (August 5, 2022). "The UK's deadliest garden". BBC. Archived from the original on March 2, 2026. Retrieved May 14, 2026.
- ^ Geiling, Natasha (September 22, 2014). "Step Inside the World's Most Dangerous Garden (If You Dare)". Smithsonian. Archived from the original on January 30, 2026. Retrieved May 14, 2026.
- ^ Iversen, Chelsea (December 6, 2024). "Poison Gardens in Fiction". CrimeReads. Archived from the original on August 10, 2025. Retrieved May 14, 2026.