What makes a garden “typical”? Flowers? Vegetables? Trees? These gardens are definitely not typical!

Alnwick, England

Alnwick Poison Garden

Alnwick Castle, in England’s Northumberland district, dates back almost 1,000 years and has quite a history as a fancy family home (of the earls and dukes of Northumberland, no less), a military base, a teaching college, a refuge for evacuees, and more. But over the castle’s quite illustrious history, its famous gardens fell into disrepair. They were only restored about 25 years ago, quickly becoming one of the most popular tourist sites in northeast England.

Attractions include a “Lawn of Blue” (thanks to the blue flowers that carpet it) and several water features. But the most unusual — and famous — part is undoubtedly the Poison Garden. This was the duchess’s idea. Isobel Jane Miller Percy (the duchess) wanted the garden to have something very different from all other gardens. Poison seemed to check that box quite nicely. (The Poison Garden is also used for educational purposes.)

The Poison Garden contains one of the biggest collections of toxic plants in the world. There are over 100 species of poisonous plants growing there that can cause harm to people. The poisonous species include strychnine trees, foxgloves, hemlock, deadly nightshade, and more. The Poison Garden is now the most popular attraction in the Alnwick Gardens.

Because the poisonous plants growing there are so deadly, the Poison Garden is kept locked and is only accessible on guided tours. But use caution… although visitors are prohibited from touching, tasting, or smelling any of the plants in the garden, some people have passed out just from breathing the air!