Search launched for elusive deadly plant for UK’s only Poison Garden collection
Alnwick Garden starts appeal to
find Strychnine tree for notorious Poison Garden. National hunt for deadly plant
draws blank.
The Alnwick Garden, which famously grows cannabis, coca and opium in its renowned
Poison Garden, has started a global search for one of the most powerful toxic plants
in the world.
The Garden has launched an appeal to find Strychnos nux-vomica, whose seeds, blossoms
and bark are a source of the highly poisonous alkaloid ‘strychnine’. Stychnine is
deadly and produces some of the most dramatic and painful symptoms of any known
toxic reaction, including muscular convulsions, spasms and eventually death through
asphyxia.
The Alnwick Garden aims to plant Strychnine in its unique Poison Garden, a public
garden that only grows plants that can seriously harm or kill people. It is kept
under 24 hour surveillance, is only open as part of a specially guided tour and
is locked securely behind 8ft wrought-iron gates when not in use. It even has a
Home Office licence.
The Alnwick Garden team has searched nationally and internationally to find this
noxious plant but have found only once source in the UK. Unfortunately this plant
is in quarantine by order of DEFRA as it is infested with Chilean Thrips, a notifiable
pest. This means no cuttings can be taken and the movement of the plant is prohibited
until it has had government clearance, which could be some considerable time as
Chilean Thrips are extremely difficult to eradicate.
And while it is possible to grow the plant from seedlings, The Alnwick Garden is
not a botanical garden and does not have the necessary facilities to cultivate the
plant from scratch.
Alison Hamer, The Alnwick Garden’s programme development manager, said: “The Poison
Garden is one of our most popular attractions and is world famous for growing cannabis
and opium. Given Strychnine’s reputation as a deadly killer, we very much want to
include it.
“We are not a botanical garden and don’t have the required facilities to grow it
from seed – we need a cutting, or ideally a mature plant. And now that we have exhausted
all options, launching an appeal for help seemed to be the only solution.”
The Poison Garden is home to The Alnwick Garden’s drugs awareness activities. Specialist
tours give school children the chance to learn more about the effects of drugs,
while families can learn together in an informal environment.
Part of the fascination behind the Poison Garden are the tales of enthralling horror
surrounding many of its deadly inhabitants. Currently the Poison Garden tour includes
stories of how Strychnine has been used to kill through the ages – it remains one
of the theories concerning the death of Alexander the Great and it was used in several
of the murders committed by serial killer Thomas Neill Cream, who poisoned prostitutes
on the streets of London.
Alison Hamer added: “The Poison Garden is a unique facility. It has a very powerful
message about the dangers of plants – and drugs – but it is also a wonderful visitor
attraction in its own right. The addition of Strychnine is a logical next step and
would complete our lethal collection. We would be grateful for any assistance in
bringing the plant to Alnwick.”
The Strychnine tree is an evergreen tree native to Southeast Asia that grows in
open habitats.