By Oliver Martinez, Middle-School Correspondent & Budding Botanist

A castor bean plant sounds harmless, even like it’s meant to be eaten. But, be careful; eating it could be catastrophic. There are lots of dangerous plants on earth. Here’s a garden full of them.

The Poison Garden in Alnwick Castle, located in the English county of Northumberland, was founded in 2006. Interesting point–this is also the place where Harry Potter and Downton Abbey were filmed. Originally, the garden was the Duchess Jane Percy’s idea, to make a garden filled with deadly plants. According to RENATURED: ANIMALS, PEOPLE AND THOSE IN BETWEEN, Duchess Percy said, “I wanted to create a garden that was beautiful yet pleasurable, educational yet not stuffy.”  She succeeded. The garden is definitely not stuffy, but it is scary. This garden has over one hundred poisonous plants: such as the Strychnine tree, deadly nightshade, Castor beans, etc. Entering and breathing this garden could actually kill you. Many people faint upon entering this garden. 

Here is what the interior of the garden looks like. 

Photo Credit: Garden Collage

Let’s look at something that sounds harmless: the castor beans. According to ScienceDirect, “Ricinus communis (castor beans) is classified as the most poisonous plant on earth for humans. The toxicity of raw castor beans is due to the presence of ricin.” Yes, ricinus communis is raw castor beans, and they are highly poisonous. According to MedicineNet, “Ricin is a toxic protein found naturally in castor beans from the castor bean plant. It can be deadly, but it depends on the dose and route of exposure.” So, it is safe to have and use castor oil, but it can cause some issues if taken internally. 

Another dangerous plant is the Strychnine tree. According to Centers for Disease and Prevention, “Strychnine is a strong poison; only a small amount is needed to produce severe effects in people. Strychnine poisoning can cause extremely serious adverse health effects, including death.” So no, I would not recommend having strychnine at home. This plant is extremely dangerous.

Another poisonous plant found in the garden is deadly nightshade. According to all that’s interesting, “Ingesting just two to four berries can kill a human child. Ten to twenty berries can kill an adult. Even chewing on just one leaf can lead to a dirt nap. Milder symptoms of deadly nightshade poisoning include delirium and hallucinations, which appear quickly once ingested.” Owning this plant if you have kids would be ludicrous. I would say that even if you are an adult, don’t have this plant in your garden.

I’ve asked my friends if they would go into this garden, and for how much cash: 

“I will go for 10 million dollars, and I’ll make sure I bring a good quality gas mask with me.”

Sherwin Hemmati, 8th Grade

“I won’t go at all no matter the money because that can cause me death and my life is worth more than money.”

Michael Pete, 8th Grade

“I’m going in for 10k and I’m bringing a gas mask and dodging all the plants.”

Zander Eaton, 7th Grade

Now, The Poison Garden may not seem like the best place to go for a vacation, but if I ever go to England, I want to visit the Alnwick Castle and its fascinating garden. The reason why is because I’d enjoy reading about the poisonous plants and their history, but I’d definitely bring a gas mask.