The Poison Garden at Alnwick Garden in Northumberland has been officially named a Guinness World Record holder. Guinness World Records (GWR) recognised the attraction for having the most species of plant in a poison garden, with 97 toxic and narcotic species growing behind its iron gates.
Official Recognition and Deadly Plants
GWR adjudicator Will Munford visited the garden this month to present an official certificate. The collection includes deadly species such as foxgloves and nightshade, along with the notorious Australian gympie-gympie plant.
Jane Percy, Duchess of Northumberland, the woman behind Alnwick Garden, said: "Apothecary gardens tend to focus on the curative properties of plants whereas I was focusing on how they could kill. I wanted to include plants which had great stories of death behind them."
Gardeners' Perspective and Anniversary
Head gardener Lachlan Rae said: "Truthfully, all plants in the Poison Garden carry risk and we act accordingly. Some are more benign or carry less obvious immediate danger, but we do have some absolute shockers in the garden."
This year marks the 25th birthday of Alnwick Garden.
Guinness World Records 2027 Book
Will Munford said: "It's not every day you present a Guinness World Records certificate surrounded by plants that could potentially kill you! The Alnwick Poison Garden is a truly fascinating place, and recognising 97 different species of poisonous and narcotic plants makes this a particularly unusual achievement."
He added: "It's brilliant to see the garden featured in the new Guinness World Records 2027 book, which celebrates extraordinary record-breaking achievements from around the world. This is a wonderful example of how records can be found in the most unexpected places, and there's certainly no better time than Halloween to celebrate this one!"
The 2027 GWR book is available now.
