You won't want to touch, taste, or even sniff any of the plants, but the Poison Garden at the Alnwick Garden is a fascinating tour for anyone interested in botany or murder. The garden in Northumberland, UK, has more than 100 species of toxic plants, including classics like wolf's bane, monkshood, and castor bean, from which the poison ricin is made. Visitors will also encounter familiar plants, like the yew tree and rhododendron, which can be toxic if not handled with care. And that's the point of the Poison Garden, to educate people in the ways that common plants can kill.
If you were to visit the Poison Garden, keep in mind that you can only see it by a guided tour, and a safety lecture before entering is required. The garden is restricted by an iron fence all around. They grow some plants that produce drugs, like opium poppies and cannabis, but they also keep count of each plant and destroy them at the end of the season. If you can't go visit, read about the poisonous plants of the Poison Garden at BBC Travel. -via Damn Interesting
(Image credit: Amanda Slater)
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