Growing Poisonous Plants In British Gardens For Pleasure!
Many British Garden Plants Are Poisonous, But Do You Know Which Garden Plants Are Toxic and Which Garden Plants Are Safe?
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British gardens are full of poisonous plants. Someone once told me that there were more people Growing Poisonous Plants In British Gardens than not doing so.
It sounds incredible. Surely it cannot be true.
But it is true. Growing poisonous plants goes back a long way in garden history and it’s quite hard to find a garden without a handful of poisonous plants growing in the borders or hedge. There are even some found growing on lawns.
And we even have a garden in the UK dedicated to poisonous plants.
Dedicated to Death?
I’m often asked about poisonous plants in gardens. People ask either, is it illegal to grow poisonous plants or a similar question, are we allowed to grow poisonous plants in the uk?
The answer is simple. With a few exceptions it’s perfectly legal to grow poisonous plants, you are allowed to.
And to prove that take a look at the video below. It’s about one of the most unusual gardens I know. The Alnwick Poison Garden.
The Poison Garden at Alwnick, Northumberland is home to over 100 deadly plants. some of them are very common, easy to grow and you probably have a few of them in your garden. At Alnwick they grow various poisonous plants, some you’d find in most garden centres, such as aconite aka monk’s hood, and rhododendrons. One plant they grow is the source of the deadly toxin, ricin! But many others have dangerous effects on humans and animals. However, some deadly plants also have medicinal uses, highlighting the dual nature of these toxic species. For example foxglove can kill or cure. It’s just a question of dosage.
All substances are poisons; there is none that is not a poison. The right dose differentiates a poison from a remedy.
Paracelsus (1493–1541)
More Poison Plant Secrets
I don’t want to spoil the video, it contains so much that might amaze you, the bit about hallucinogenic honey gets most people, but let me give a you a few key points.
There are over 100 deadly plants in the British garden. And a good ferret more that will spoil your day. The plant that produces Ricin is the castor oil plant and it is considered the world’s most poisonous plant. It is easy to grow! Rhododendrons are very dodgy. The contain gryanotoxin, which can affect the central nervous syste. 💀 There is one very common plant that produces cyanide gas. Take it in your car to the tip and you could die! Some plants have medicinal uses, though they are also toxic. I’m thinking of plants such as plants like the yew and even periwinkle. The Alnwick garden run drug education programmes using drug plants from the Poison Garden. There is a huge potential for toxic plants to yield future miracle cures. So don’t condemn them all to the compost heap yet.
